Embers in The Mist
by cheernerd7
Summary: Benders and Non-benders have finally made peace in Republic City, but trials for the Avatar and her friends are far from over. From civil duties to personal issues, from adventures to exhaustion, from family and friends to enemies, and a whole life ahead of them, things are bound to get interesting...or complicated. "I kissed Tamal."
1. Chapter 1

**My very first LOK fanfic. I'm really looking forward to writing this story, and I hope you all will enjoy it very much. This is going to become a rather involved tale of love, family, adventure, drama, action, and much more. The pairings that I have written are canon as of yet, so Makorra, Tenzin/Pema, so on and so forth. Enjoy!**

* * *

His heart pounded rapidly in his chest. None of this could be reality. It simply was not possible. Just a short time ago they had been laughing, playing outside as children. They were inseparable best friends that would do absolutely anything for one another.

But that was just it.

They would do _anything_ for each other.

His eyes raked across the council members one more time before he heard a side door open. From it marched a number of metalbending police, and in the middle of them all walked a young man. Handcuffed, the young man simply nodded as he acknowledged the woman who was his attorney. The convict stood, silent and stoic behind the defendant's desk as the woman whispered in his ear.

He willed for the young man to turn around, so that he could speak with him one more time. Yet, his opportunity never came. Guilt racked inside of him as the council members called the trial to order.

The mallet clanked loudly against the tabletop as the council woman from the Earth Kingdom read off the charges so that the entire court would be able to hear them. "For the charges of 'Use of An Illegal Form of Bending,' 'Criminal Activity Such as Theft and Breaking and Entering,' 'Battering,' and 'Murder in The First Degree,' how do you plead?"

A painstaking amount of grief and horror surged through his chest as his brother declared, "Guilty."

* * *

He wanted to smile at his work, to congratulate himself on just how eloquent his final product had been. It had taken weeks of preparation and effort. Effort to create, and an extreme amount of effort to keep his task at hand a secret. Yet, none of that mattered because to him, the object could still be more beautiful.

He frowned at the engraved, precious stone in the palm of his hand, the navy colored lace ties swishing back and forth in the slight breeze. Though there was a part of him that knew he shouldn't put off presenting his gift any longer, and that it was a very pretty piece of jewelry, it just wasn't _enough_. Then again, while he knew that in his mind's eye nothing would ever be perfect enough for her, in reality this was a girl that loved imperfection.

Either way, he had already made the final decision that tonight would be the night. There would be no more waiting, or in better terms, stalling. Even if he had mixed feelings on its appearance.

"You still haven't handed it over? Ugh, silly boys. Girls love presents no matter what! When I have a boyfriend, I'll have him buy me all types of pretty, wonderful things! It's what you're supposed to do, Mako. Make her happy by giving her anything her heart desires!" A young airbender decreed landing directly in front of him, closing her glider.

"Uh, isn't your mom looking for you, Ikki?" The firebender blurted out as the eight year old paused to breath, rapidly stuffing the necklace into the pocket of his trousers.

She gave him a slightly puzzled expression, "No, why would she be looking for me? She told me to go outside. I'm already ready for the ball, see! Isn't my dress pretty? Jinora's is similar. Where did you get your suit? Is it new? I like it! I'm super excited for tonight! Can you imagine? A real ball! I feel like a princess! Don't you, Mako? Oh, well I suppose you would feel more like a prince, because Korra is your princess, right? Do you know when we're leaving?"

"Right now, Ikki," A deep voice answered from the alcove. Tenzin held his youngest son, Rohan, who had recently grasped the art of walking, by the hand as he toddled between his mother and father. Meelo and Jinora sped ahead of their parents towards the ferry, and Ikki followed right after them.

Mako looked up at the man before him. "Where's Korra?"

"She's coming," Pema told him reassuringly. "She forgot to grab her notes for her speech."

He lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. Korra was someone that did better simply speaking at a moments notice. A practiced speech would seem fake and as though it contained no sincerity.

"Which I made for her," Tenzin added as they passed. That explained it.

He smirked, leaning against the railing of the alcove's walkway. His girlfriend was most likely displeased that she was being forced by her airbending master to have notes on hand just in case, let alone with the fact that she would be out of her comfort zone in the first place. There was a grumble behind him, and an even pattern of footsteps coming in his direction, though they seemed to be slightly strained by what he presumed to be heels.

The young man turned to peer at the young woman and smiled. When she reached the short staircases, he offered her his hand to help her down. She smiled at him, "What a gentleman."

"Always for you," He told the Avatar, kissing her hand. "You look amazing, Korra. Really beautiful."

"Thanks," She responded, blushing hotly and taking his arm. "You look great too."

Mako truly was stunned. It was not that he wasn't attracted to her ever before, or that he didn't find her to be beautiful everyday. This was just a new type of beauty. Her hair, apart from her tied up front pieces, had been let loose to fall delicately down her back. And her dress, oh her dress, was certainly not what she had worn to the gala last year. It was so much more breathtaking. A light blue fabric clung flatteringly to her upper body to show off her perfect, toned figure. The skirt part hung fantastically around her lower half, a the coloration grew to an almost ivory. The long sleeved, shining dress was absolutely glamorous, and still somewhat modest. Except for the slit running to her upper thigh, and her entirely bare back.

She was most definitely the catch of the night. From the very moment she walked through the doors of City Hall, and Mako, as her escort, presented her to the crowd, she was the center of everyone's attention. And, not simply because she was the guest of honor, or even for that matter the Avatar. It was because she absolutely was a dazzling spectacle. When his girlfriend's eyes did not meet his, he threw dark looks at men who stared a little too long and a little too hard. He grinned, though, as he saw several women threaten their own boyfriends within inches of their lives. So, to say that he was honored to be the Water Tribe girl's boyfriend was an understatement. Next to Korra, not one woman came close to surpassing her glamour, except for Asami Sato.

Asami, who wore an elegant red and black dress, was arm in arm with her escort as she weaved through the crowd towards the pair. She waved, a large smile on her face, "Korra, Mako, over here."

"Hey, Asami!" He responded cheerily as she and Korra hugged and exchanged compliments. "Hey, bro!"

"My good sir. Madame," Bolin responded goofily, nodding in exaggerated formality, causing Asami to shake her.

"It feels like forever since there's been a decent party," The raven-haired girl commented. She immediately received blank looks from both of the brothers, who were not as experienced with high society as she was. Yet, both seemed to agree that the ball's appearance was certainly spectacular. "So are you ready, Korra?"

"As I'll ever be," The Avatar shrugged, "I just want the ceremony part to be over with."

"Oh, no," A hushed whisper escaped Bolin's mouth as he patted his breast pocket. A horrified expression crossed his face.

Mako groaned. He knew his brother all too well. "Bo, you didn't. Come on, here? You know he likes to get into things. He'll be trampled."

Bolin let out a startled squeal. He protested, "I didn't think I would lose him! He was supposed to stick with me. I told him to stay put right here!"

He sighed as his brother pointed to his chest, indicating that the missing subject was to hide inside of his vest. Though he would not show it as easily, Mako was also concerned for their pet fire ferret. "Well, we need to find him. Where was the last place you know you saw him?"

"Over there." Bolin pointed to a marble pillar at the far end of the room.

"At least he's inside. Alright, let's split up so we can find him faster."

Bolin jumped at opportunity. He yanked on Asami's arm as he spun around. "C'mon, escort. We need to find Pabu."

Korra and Mako began walking in the opposite direction. The Avatar eyed him. "How much trouble could one fire ferret possibly get into?"

All he needed to do was give her a disbelieving look. So she continued, "Don't answer that."

"Welcome Ladies and Gentleman, one and all, non-benders and benders alike." Councilman Tenzin's voice came across the microphone.

"Ah, man. We need to hurry," Mako hissed as he and Korra ducked their heads below the average crowd level.

Tenzin continued, "Tonight we celebrate the year long peace between benders and non-benders in Republic City. Tonight we acknowledge the efforts we have all made as city to make this wonderful place harmonious for all. So, if you could all join me in giving a round of applause to welcome our guest of honor this evening, it would be my honor to present Avatar Korra."

A round of applause rang out for a few seconds before Tenzin asked, "Avatar Korra. Where are you Korra? Ah, there she is."

Korra groaned beside Mako as the spotlight swiveled to rest on them. Slightly bitter that their attempt to go unnoticed was a failure, she turned around. She smiled as her audience once again welcomed her to the stage. Mako gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek before releasing her to walk up the stairs. Once she reached the podium, her blue eyes found his ambers for a brief moment and they exchanged smiles.

"Hello Republic City," She paused for a moment, searching for words. "You all look fabulous."

There were a few chuckles throughout the audience as she continued, "I wanted to tell you all that I am so proud to have been a part of this city's great restoration. And, all citizens have put forth a great effort to provide unitEEEEeeee!"

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**I really hope you all liked what I've started off with. You can expect the next chapter to be up very soon. Well, I'm glad I finished this when I did, because I just took my dog to the hospital and am now an emotional mess. If you could keep my corgi in your thoughts I would appreciate it, and she would LOVE you! Thanks! Please tell me what you think so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Numero Dos! Starts where we left off and is in Third Person but gives Korra's perspective! Hope you love it!**

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"UnitEEEEeeee!" Korra squealed. She wriggled uncomfortably trying to dislodge the surprising feeling of a fluffy fur tail swishing lightly across her legs beneath her dress. The young Water Tribe girl knew exactly what, or more specifically who, had found his way between her feet. She cleared her throat, "Sorry, I just got a chill. Do you ever get those?"

She could hear Tenzin huff a heavy sigh from somewhere off to the side. A few chuckles ran throughout the crowd from her attempt to distract from her odd behavior. She did her best to continue with her speech, fully aware that Pabu had no intention of leaving his newest hiding place. And, she was doing a fairly good job of it too, until the nosy fire ferret found a string hanging from the hem of her dress that he apparently found incredibly entertaining.

"Just over a year ago, this city was in turmoil. Benders and Non-benders feared each other, and there was only prejudice." Korra was able to casually push Bolin's pet with the front of her foot, beneath the podium, but Pabu was not one to quit so easily. "But now we have something that we didn't before. An understanding for one another, an acceptance for each other's differences, a guaranteed right to liberty and protection without any discrimination, and an appreciation for who we are as a city."

Pabu pounced once again, unseen to the audience, and Korra let out a grunt of irritation under her breath. Shoving him once more, she composed herself and continued, "I know that I myself am not a Republic City native, but for a long time now I've considered this amazing place to be a home to me. I love all the little quirks about this place. The first people I met were a few non-benders actually, and I've been able to rely on them just as much as, and sometimes probably more than my bender friends. Take my friend, Asami Sato and I.

"We've definitely had our rough patches, and not all for the reasons you may think." She gave an embarrassed grin, and the crowd laughed again. Korra searched the audience to find Asami's green eyes smiling back at her in the front row, a distracted Bolin beside her. "No matter what type of arguments we've been through though, I respect her. And I know that we will always have each others' backs, because hey let's face it, I definitely do not recommend going toe-to-toe with her. But, the point that I'm trying to get across is that it's a wonderful thing to have a friend like that and that's the type of thing that I want for Republic City. A place where non-benders and benders can join together and fight for the same cause."

She paused for a moment, partly because Pabu was gnawing on her shoe, and partly because she was trying to rethink what she had just said. "Well, actually, let me rephrase that. It really shouldn't be all about fighting. I know that coming from me, a probender, that's probably a bit of a shock, but I mean it. Life should be about finding the harmony and balance between us all. No jealousy, no fear, no anger, no threats. We're all different and unique in our own ways. So, I have to say that I'm proud to live here as a fellow citizen, and that Republic City is once again the place that Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko intended it to be. I am truly honored to be your Avatar, and I promise that I will strive to ensure everyone of you is given fair treatment and equal recognition as a person, no matter what. I'll give it all I have. Thank you."

A round of applause ensued as she took a step back. "Oh, you know what? Hold on a second!"

She knew that hundreds of curious eyes were upon as she ducked over to retrieve the rascally fire ferret. Grasping him with both hands, she made Pabu meet her humored, but daring blue eyes. She stood, informing him of just how much trouble he and Bolin were both in. Korra leaned back towards the microphone and extended the red pet at arms length, above the podium. "Bo, I think I found him."

Bolin's face turned beet red in embarrassment as he rushed to stage, but it was quickly washed over by relief. Asami followed close behind him, and so did Mako. Giggles from the rest of that evening's attendees could be heard bouncing about the marble walls of the giant room, but they were quickly drowned out by the return of spirited music. Though a few curious eyes remained on the Avatar and her friends, most returned to the party of conversations, entertainment, refreshments, and dancing.

"You're welcome," She said as the earthbender squeezed Pabu in his muscular grasp.

"Ah! Pabu! I told you to stay put! Don't do that to me again at a fancy place like this." He gave the ferret a stern look, holding him by the scruff, but he didn't have the heart to keep up the discipline act. Instead, he smiled and placed him on his shoulder, giving him a quick scratch between the ears. "Well, now that everyone knows your here, how about you go play with Meelo and Ikki. I'm sure I can trust them with your care."

Korra was certain that Pabu gave an almost reluctant grunt as he hopped off of his best friend's shoulder and scurried to find the airbending kids, because she knew all too well that he would spend the majority of the rest of the evening trying to escape being given _too much_ love. Poor Pabu.

"That was really well said, Korra," Asami complimented the shorter, young woman.

"Thank you. I really couldn't have made my speech what it was without you. You really are a great friend, Asami."

Asami put her hand Korra's arm. "So are you, Korra. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Korra quickly composed herself. Giving the taller girl a cheeky grin, she declared, "But, just because I said all that, it doesn't mean I don't plan on whooping your butt tomorrow on the race track."

Ms. Sato raised a dark eyebrow, now smirking in return. "Oh, you'll try. Just don't get your hopes up too much, rookie."

"Hopes for loosing? Don't worry, they're not set at all."

"Well, all I have to say is, just drive right. Some of us may have some money on the line," Bolin announced, throwing up his hands. "And, it's never fun to lose fifty yuans."

"That's all you bet, Bolin?" Mako questioned in disbelief, "Asami and I bet like-ow!"

Mako rubbed his upper tricep, throwing his girlfriend a pouty look for temporarily damaging his good arm. Korra simply gave him a playful glare. She really wasn't offended by his statement, even though she figured he had bet against her. The Avatar simply did not want her pride given a knock down a notch tomorrow. Asami had been taching her to drive, and she really was much better at it. However, though her ego did not want her to acknowledge this truth, she knew for fact that Asami had that Sato way with machinery.

Somewhere in the room, a tsungi horn had started up a lively jazz tune that had gathered many couples and singles onto the dance floor. Korra scanned the dancers for familiar faces. Tenzin had taken Pema by the hand, although Korra was sure that it had probably been the other way around. Rohan had been handed over to Jinora, who had Ikki's help to attempt to teach the staggering toddler how to dance. Meelo ran on the perimeter of the dancers chasing a red and black blur. General Iroh had struck up a dance with a young woman he had met that evening. Lin Beifong was even tapping her foot to the beat as she spoke with Saikhan.

"Let's boogey!" Bolin cheered loudly, dragging his escortee onto the floor.

Once her friends had disappeared into the crazed surge of Republic City citizens, Mako offered her his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"Sure." When given consent, Mako led her to the edge of the dance floor, grasped her right hand and put the other on her waist. Eyes narrowed mischievously, she added, "Sorry if I break any toes."

"It's okay. You've already destroyed my arm. We'll see how long we can last without anymore injuries." He winked at her.

"So who did you bet on?"

"You'll see tomorrow."

"Hmm, patience is not my virtue, Mako."

"It's never too late to learn. Think fast."

Without a second's pause, she was being dipped by her firebending boyfriend. She clung tightly to his collar, but she highly doubted that he would drop her. The security of his arms were wrapped too snugly around her for any such thing to happen. His face loomed closer to her own, his dreamy amber eyes mere inches away from her own. His lips came very close to her, nearly touching, and then only a gentle grazing as he stood back up. He tossed her a wicked grin.

"Tease," She hissed playfully. "So where did you learn to dance like this, City Boy?"

"My mom," He answered with a sad smile. "But, I really haven't gotten to practice very much the past several years. I guess what she taught me just never really left me."

Korra leaned her head against his shoulder, unsure of how to comfort him exactly with words. "I bet she was an amazing lady."

"Yeah, she was." He kissed her forehead. "She had a lot of determination and spirit. She was funny. Bolin says that from what he can remember, I have most of her physical features. Bo looks a bit more like my dad, but I think he was taller. My memories have an eight-year-olds perspective, so my parents both towered over me. My mom was a lot like you, Korra, a genuine, kind, loyal person. Although, I don't recall her having such a ferocious temper."

She wrinkled her nose at him in mock offense. But, she was pleased that she had caused him to speak a bit more freely on the subject. As he had witnessed their murders firsthand, it was difficult for him to willingly recall anything about them without associating the topic with their untimely passing. Korra, though sad over his grief, was glad that she was one of the few people he had allowed himself to open up to. He needed to let it all out, that's what she did. In fact, maybe that's why they were one another's perfect balance. While she was wild and driven by rash impulses, he was calm and collected. "It's nice to hear you talk about them. I really wish I had been able to meet them."

The typical stoic's face twisted slightly with regret and sadness, "Me too."

"Hey," Korra urged. Looking him in the eye, she pointed to his forehead and then to his chest, right over his heart. "You still have them. Here and here."

He grasped her fingers delicately, and kissed her palm. "Thank you."

"Now, show me more of those moves, Cool Guy!"

"No toe-breaking?"

"I promise there will be none."

This celebration was meant to go from seven-thirty in the evening until long past the middle of the night, and it was only over an hour into the evening. Mako and Korra had found Bolin and Asami, and a few other young people had joined their dance group, including Meelo, who had Pabu perched around his shoulders. Bolin turned out to be a decent dancer as well, yet a few other young men definitely surpassed the brother's talent in jazz. There was a large array of laughs, jokes, and heart-to-hearts passed around in simply the first thirty minutes. When a waiter came by to offer them a beverage, Korra, Asami, and Bolin took a glass of champagne. Mako refused and instead grabbed a glass of water. Tenzin, who was nearby nearly exploded when Ikki asked Bolin if he could let her taste the beverage out of curiosity, even though he knew far better than to do any such thing. All they simply wanted was a toast, none of them had any interest in intoxicating themselves. Even though fans were on, soon enough it had gotten a little too hot amongst all of these other people, so Korra excused herself to catch some fresh air.

A large hand intwined with her followed by Mako's voice, "I'll come with you. Here, let's go for a little moonlight stroll. Shall we?"

He opened the door and led them down the front steps of city hall. There were a few other scattered groups of people, but compared to the commotion indoors, the crisp evening air was much more silent. Korra clung close to his side as they walked towards the large fountain ponds. She stepped up onto the short wall surrounding the wall, and swung his hand as they paced around its perimeter. They chatted about how successful the evening had been thus far, laughed over some of the silly things that were said inside, counted all of the stars that were visible above the city lights, and listened to the sound of the still active city that contained the rest of the population that had not attended this evening's ball.

"It's sort of comforting, all the sounds," Mako commented. "The sounds of horns, tires, engines, the train, the trolley, and people on the streets used to put me to sleep. Still does at times."

"Snow fall is what used to put me to sleep. It's a lot louder here than at home, but not in a bad way," She responded.

"Do you miss your home ever, Korra?"

"Yeah, I mean, of course I miss the South Pole. The weather is a lot nicer here, but I miss my parents and Katara a lot. But, like I said earlier, this is my home now. I love it here." She halted her footsteps and shyly stared at the ground. "Wherever you are, Mako, that's home."

She glanced up, her blue eyes hopeful. Mako's amber eyes were filled with adoration and an unexplainable amount of love. Since she was just above his height at the moment, he encircled her waist in his arms and spun her once. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his lips pressed softly against her. He was inviting and warmth radiated from him. The smell of his comforting spiced cologne filled her nostrils and she sunk further into his kiss. She had not even realized that she had been placed back on her own two feet, she felt as though she were gliding on air. And for all she knew, maybe she was, she was airbender after all. But, he had a firm grip on her, and all she knew was she and Mako. Her heart fluttered, butterflies rose in her stomach, her head was spinning, and she felt like she could go a lifetime without breathing.

"I have a surprise for you," Mako whispered once they had finally pulled apart out of a dire need for oxygen. Her eyebrows raised expectantly, but he refused to tell her. "Well, it's a surprise, so I can't tell you. Shut your eyes, no peeking."

Korra rolled her eyes reluctantly, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. But, due to his pleading, she consented. However, she opened one eye to a squint to peer out at him. He chuckled and removed his red scarf from his shoulders. He folded it over once and placed it over the top of her face, tying it behind her head in a removable, but smug knot. Her entire view, peripherals and all, were obscured. "Just as a precautionary."

"Patience," He whispered into her ear, trailing his lips across her jaw. Korra used her other senses to determine exactly what this surprise was. She could hear him clear his throat nervously as he, she assumed, extracted something from his trouser pocket. Other than that, he was incredibly silent. Even though he was not touching her, she could sense his hands moving parallel along both side of her face. The first thing she felt was something cool in temperature, smooth in texture, and firm in durability collide softly where her throat and chest plate met. Then there were the lace ties that followed. They fit comfortably around her neck, knotted not too loose, not too snug. The object around her neck was, surprisingly, light as a feather. And last, his lips, briefly, yet lovingly, against hers once more. His hands cupped her face, then slowly moved to untie his scarf. He pressed his cheek against hers, "Now, you can't open your eyes just yet. Are you willing to wait just a second longer?"

She nodded rapidly. Her heart rate quickened to a pace she didn't believe she had ever felt before. Her eyes were squeezed shut at his request, yet all of her other senses were flaring with their suspicions. "Okay, now!"

Her sky blue eyes burst open rapidly. And within seconds she took it all in. Mako's face was smiling in front of hers. He wore the same smile he had given her just over a year ago, right after she had become a fully realized Avatar, right before she returned his confession of love for her. Next, she gazed down, at the same time feeling for the light blue pendant hanging around her neck. It was beautiful. There was so much detail placed into every etch. Carved into the shape of a stunning flame, every branch of the flame was given its own life. Though small, it was obvious that hours, if not days, or even weeks, had gone into creating this pendant. It was an ancient, long held custom for her people. She knew exactly what the tradition meant, and apparently, so did Mako.

She glanced up just in time to see him slide down onto one knee. He grabbed her hand. His voice was slightly choked from nervousness as he said, "I love you, Korra, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't imagine any other way I'd be able to through this life, or the next. Cause, well, then you won't be busy mentoring the next Avatar all the time. But, earlier tonight you said that you would give everything to give these people anything, but I don't want that to be the case. I want to be the one to do that for you. Will you marry me Korra? It would be _my_ honor if you would say yes."

The young Avatar was stunned speechless, barely able to choke out a sob. But, once the first came, the rest of the tears were soon to follow, and soon enough she was crying uncontrollably. Confused, Mako stood and embraced her. Running his thumb under her eyes to dismiss the tears he asked, "Korra? What's wrong? You don't have to cry?"

"I'm-hic-sorry," She managed to croak out, "But, I-hic-do."

"Why is that?" She could tell that his voice was becoming progressively nervous. Yet, she never answered that question, all she did was heighten herself a little bit and kiss him. She could feel the relief running through his tense muscles.

"Is that a yes?" He requested. Korra laughed and nodded against his cheek.

* * *

**Fin. Not permanently! Just until the next chapter! Which should be up shortly as well. I will definitely try by Wednesday (does anyone else pronounce it Wed-nes-day in their heads when they write it out?) I will be out of town for a couple days, so there may be a gap in chapters, but rest assured that will just leave room for writing! Well I just picked up my dog. She's better, but her bloodwork hasn't come back yet :/ She still hurts though. Anyways, I hope you loved this. The whole time I was writing Makorra, I was definitely suffering from nostalgia and listening to Celine Dion's _My Heart Will Go On _(the Titanic song) over and over and over again hah(I recommend listening to it whil reading for the added dramatic effect ha). And _You'll Be in My Heart _by Phil Collins came on too(from Tarzan). Tell me what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's up! :D**

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Mako smirked as Asami Sato, who stood next to a sleek dragster, stretched her fingers apart and then balled her hand into a fist. She repeated this motion several times with both hands. He knew that her racing gloves wrapped around her fingers gave her a sense of connecting with herself, and that for the first time in a while, she would gain satisfaction from today by simply driving a piece of machinery. Now, the fact that the piece of machinery was indeed a race car may have had something to do with that. But since Asami had an unlimited amount of access to cars like these, that conclusion was unlikely. The raven-haired girl had been raised operating products of her now imprisoned father's former industrial empire, and she just happened to have a knack them.

"I'm counting on you today, Asami! I can't lose those fifty yuans!" Bolin announced, giving her a thumbs up as he and his brother entered the massive garage just outside of the city limits.

Though Asami had technically become the heiress to her father's gigantic corporation, she had opted to sell what she could of the actual corporation without making any stupid business mistakes. As Future Industries' stock was bound to plummet since her father had been publicly announced as an equalist, she had sold small fragments of the business including the factory and distribution center. Eventually the company had dissolved, and she had given the few employees that had not been involved with equalists stipends and sincere recommendations for employment. She had consulted a trusted attorney with decisions on a patten for her father's complicated and destructive creations. Though products like the mechatanks and electroshock, designed for equalist use, had been outlawed for the private sector. Asami now collected a large percentage of yuans every time a product, replicated from a Sato design, went on the market.

On top of ridding herself of Future Industries, after ordering the destruction of her father's underground workshop, she had sold the residence to a wealthy noblewoman from the Fire Nation. The property, including the racetrack, were no longer hers. However stressful and painful it was to sell everything she had grown up with, it had made her happy. As an independent young woman, her decisions to start anew had given her a new sense of pride. Overall, after paying all of her legal, business, and personal fees as well as debts, Asami had collected just under a billion yuans, which made her the wealthiest eighteen year old in Republic City. And she was probably the wisest eighteen year old with that amount of money.

She had put a sizable, million yuan investment into repairing the Probending Arena, and with the delayed, upcoming season, Asami would collect a significant percentage of ticket sales. And as the Fire Ferrets' permanent lead sponsor, she could have opted to take a percentage of their guaranteed winnings, but had decided against it. The prodigy businesswoman had decided to found her own corporation, a company that had already paid for itself with improved production of the Satomobile, the new propeller planes, and had contracted services with the United Forces. Generously, she had decided that her three friends would go into a partnership with her. But, the three had all signed contracts stating that until they were further educated in the business, if they ever chose to become so, would allow Asami to make all final executive financial and business decisions. Over a quarter of her fortune had gone into charities and the city's children's hospital.

As for her current place of residence, several months ago Asami had purchased an elegant and quaint, yet compact flat in uptown Republic City. However, even though she was fiercely independent out in the world, she was no fan of living by herself. So, most afternoons she found herself transitioning between her apartment and Air Temple Island on days that the Avatar had evening airbending practices, which was at least half of each week. Most other evenings she spent with her friends, either observing their Probending practices, swimming on the the rooftop pool of her apartment building, driving around town, or at their business' test track. The incredible test track that they were now at.

"Don't worry, Bolin. Even if I don't win, I can reimburse you," Asami offered the earthbender.

"But, there's no fun in that! So, win!"

After greeting Asami, Mako only heard fragments of her conversation with his brother. He was far too intrigued by the sleek outlines of the two dragsters before him. Though unpainted, they were still fantastic to look at. The cars had a similarity to the vehicles that had been raced on the day before they discovered Hiroshi to be an equalist. These cars were thicker, more rounded on top, and longer. Lower to the ground, the tire were more similar in shape and size and seemed to be able to withstand just the proper amount of traction for incredibly high speeds.

"Like, them?" Asami inquired from off to the side, as both boys now had their eyes glued to the vehicles. "Fresh out of the factory. I've been saving this design for something special. I figured Korra and I could give them a spin."

"Sa-weet!" Bolin pumped his fist. He hopped into the driver's seat of one of the two pewter cars. For a moment he made obnoxious sounds of cars screeching and tires braking as he pretended to swivel the steering wheel. "Asami, you _have_ to let me drive this!"

Mako and Asami exchanged doubtful expressions, but she relented when the green-eyed young man gave her a pleading look. "Alright, maybe you and Mako can give them a try after we're done."

"You mean, after I kick your prissy little behind?" A female voice teased from the opening of the large garage door.

Asami's emerald eyes narrowed with good humor. "That's right, I'm sorry. What I meant to say was, he can drive after _I_ kick _your_ prissy little behind."

Korra smirked, dismissing the retort. She strode into the garage wearing a new, blue jacket and gloves that had obviously been picked out by her friend. Her blue and white-striped helmet had been tucked up under her arm. "Sorry, if I'm a little late. I got held up by Tenzin. And let me tell you, he was not in a pleasant mood."

It took Mako a few seconds longer than Bolin and Asami to realize that their friend was doing her best to mask her hurt feelings. Bolin hopped out of the vehicle to shake her shoulder in a friendly way, "What did he say?"

Korra's cerulean eyes popped in surprise, immediately aware of how her emotions were so easily displayed on her face. "Oh, nothing. He just lost his cool, that's all. Everyone does once in a while. I don't think he got any sleep last night with the ball, and then Rohan was up crying all night after we got back."

Bolin shrugged, "While cute, babies sure seem to scream a lot."

"You're telling me," Korra chuckled. "I had about five pillows over my head last night. The whole time I just kept thinking of how at least his siblings go back to sleep eventually. That whole cute part has definitely worn off."

"Well," Mako cut in, "They're helpless. How else are they supposed to catch your attention?"

His _fiance_ merely pegged him with a puzzled expression. She shrugged, helping Asami wheel out the first car, Bolin followed close behind with the next. The firebender shook his head before snatching his and Bolin's helmets, and running to aide his brother.

Once they made their way outside into the late afternoon sunshine, the group continued the short distance to the track in silence. Their flagman was already anticipating their arrival. Bolin and Mako climbed into the elevated box with him for a view of the entire track. While the girls made last minute adjustments to their mirrors, adorned their goggles and helmets, and rolled up to the starting/finish line, the flagman shouted the rules to them over the purr of there engines. "Now, I want a nice, clean race. No dirty driving, no bumping, no bashing. Just traditional speed racing. Don't mess these cars up. Got it?"

Mako had to chuckle as Korra and Asami gave each other competitive glares that gave complete disregard to whatever the flagman was saying. He watched Korra mouth something to her, but he could not hear exactly what the Avatar had said over the rev of a powerful motor.

"Remember," The flagman continued, "There's only one lap. The first one back is the winner. Now, on your mark. Get set. Go."

"Be careful!" Mako shouted as the anticipation grew.

A green flag whipped back and forth in his grasp, alerting the female drivers. Immediately they were off, neck and neck. Mako had never seen two cars move so fast. They rounded the first right and turn at nearly an even speed, but as the strait way rapidly turned into a left turn Asami scooted ahead by nearly half of a car length. Mako and Bolin hollered at the constant battle for first, much to the flagman's annoyance. On the fourth turn, Korra had come out ahead. Each time Asami tried to get around her, the Avatar swerved to put an obstacle in her path.

"They're half way there," The flagman informed the fabulous bending brothers.

As he watched from a distance, the firebender anticipated their next movements. Asami was much more experienced, and she had to know better about getting around someone. For a brief moment, he wondered if she would try the same risky move that she had when she had offered Korra a ride for the first time. But, the Water Tribe native would be expecting that. If she did not make her way around soon, she would lose. So, when she backed off by about five car lengths, the brothers were shocked.

The racing duo rounded the final turn, Korra in the lead, Asami just to her left. And then she gunned it. Korra slid to her left to prevent her friend from making a pass, but at the last second Asami swiveled to the right. Asami crept along Korra's right side as quickly as possible as they tore down the straight way towards the finish line. There was absolutely no way for the Avatar to prevent Ms. Sato from completely flanking her without causing a collision. As they were so close now, Mako could see both with their teeth bared and eyes glued to the waving checkered flag, expressions that could only be interpreted as a dire desire to succeed.

"Umm," Mako hummed. "Who won?"

"I don't know," The flagman responded, puzzled.

"Woo-hoo!" Korra cheered, leaping from her seat as soon as she had the car in park.

Asami stood up more graciously, removing her head gear before saying anything. She grinned, "Hold on, Korra. I'm pretty sure I came out on top."

Korra raised a brunette eyebrow, "You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm serious," The other young woman insisted. "But, even from my perspective it was a little hard to tell. I think we should take a look at the final picture, just to be sure."

"And, who might have taken this photograph?" Bolin questioned as soon as he had scurried of of the ladder.

Asami pointed to a man who held a large camera in both hands and a woman who was taking copious notes on the opposite side of the gate. And as if it were obvious she said, "Our recorders. This was an actual test drive for these models. They wanted to see how it went. We can view his film reel back in the workshop with the projector."

"Ah, yes. How did I miss this?" Bolin muttered, scratching Pabu between the ears.

"Oh, untested, first edition cars taken out for an intense head-to-head race," Mako commented, while they marched towards the workshop, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That seems so-"

"Awesome!" Korra interjected. "We were really the first to drive those? What a rush."

"I was thinking more along the lines of unnecessarily dangerous," He corrected, frowning. "The radiators could have blown or something. You guys could have been hurt."

Korra wrapped her arm around his waist. "But, they didn't, and we weren't. Besides, I'm a waterbender and a firebender. We would have been fine."

"Since when are you such a worrier, Mako?" Asami teased.

Mako huffed, wrapping his arm around Korra's shoulders. Something about the way she held onto him made him feel far more significant. It was like she clung to him for more than just a mere gesture of affection, it was as though she relied on him. Apart, they created two halves of a perfect hole. Like fire and ice, they calmed each other's extremes, or at times ignited them.

His voice was low, completely out of earshot of his brother or Asami. In fact, he did not even realize that he had voiced anything aloud. "Since the first time I lost her."

"Mako," A hushed voice pleaded beside him. He was jerked back into reality as she pulled them to a stop. Her remarkable eyes held some sort of sadness in them, "I love you."

His heart melted and his expression softened completely. He kissed her forehead, "I love you, too."

* * *

"So you bet against me, huh?" She laughed, swinging at his arm once again. The had just disembarked the ferry that took them to Air Temple Island. With stomachs growling for dinner, the new team Avatar trudged up the stairs towards the family dining room.

The projector room in the workshop had been by all means cozy. Leather couches and plush chairs, resting on hardwood flooring, were surrounded by homey accessories. Bolin's favorite, had been the fire gummies dispenser.

The projector had sat on a table in the middle of the room, aimed at a white screen covering a single wall. It took only a few minutes for the recorder to place the film correctly in projector for it to appear as a slide. He had skimmed through a few black and white photographs of the start of Asami and Korra's race before finding the exact picture they had been looking for.

"No, way," Mako had breathed out at the same time that Bolin had whispered, "Insane."

"Well, I didn't lose any money. Did I?" Mako retorted. "You did a good job behind the wheel."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure Asami is to thank for a lot of that," Korra muttered.

"Yeah, but she didn't beat you." He countered. Mako had placed a bet with Asami, taking a stance that the two girls would in fact finish their race in a tie. She had obviously disagreed and matched his bet of one hundred yuans. The firebender grinned as he flipped through the wad of cash. "So our celebration dinner is on Asami."

"What are you celebrating?" Jinora requested. The three airbending siblings had flown towards the teenage Team Avatar as soon as the group reached the top of the stairs.

"Hello, beautiful lady," Meelo greeted Asami, clinging to her pant leg as soon as he had closed his glider.

"They're celebrating Mako finally giving Korra that necklace," Ikki answered her older sister.

Mako's amber eyes shot wide open in horror, and he knew that beside him, Korra had the exact same expression. He made a silent prayer to Agni that none of the part Water Tribe children, nor their two friends, knew exactly what the necklace represented. Not a word about Mako's proposal had been breathed to anyone. The first reason being that last night had been a very long night spent mostly by themselves wandering the grounds around City Hall in a very deep, personal discussion. The second; Mako had wound up escorting Korra back to the island very late in the evening after Tenzin's family had already departed the party with overly tired children. Third and most importantly; news of the Avatar's engagement would spread like wild fire. And, once that fire was spread it would be answered by mostly a critical reception and disapproval.

Jinora peered suspiciously at Korra's neck. The inquisitive eleven-year-old gasped dreamily. Her chestnut brown eyes were lit with delight when she saw, just barely hidden by the older girl's collar, the blue flame pendant. "Korra! Is that a Water Tribe enga-?"

One direct earthbending stomp from Korra, and the sisters were launched skywards. Her face was red hot with embarrassment, only to turn a deeper shade of scarlet when she realized who was watching. A distant memory of Ikki's voice floated through Mako's mind, _"Does he drive you crazy in a bad way? Or does he drive you crazy like you _like _him?"_

"A Water Tribe _what,_ Jinora?" Asami questioned as the two airbenders came floating back to the ground, her curiosity perking interest.

"A-," Mako stumbled for words.

"A... Water Tribe _in game_!" Korra decided a broad, secretive smile crossing her face. She looked to her fiance for assistance.

"Uh? Yeah," Mako agreed with a matching expression. "A Water Tribe in game!"

"It's a Water Tribe game...uh...played between people in a relationship," She lied. She held her finger in the air as though she knew exactly what she was talking about, although her improv skills could definitely have used improvement. "See, cause, we're in the game of dating. You, know? It's sort of a play on words. The game is all about who can give each other the nicer gift."

"Yeah," Her secret firebending fiance aided, expanding on her story. "Like, Korra got me my new gloves."

"You have new gloves?" Bolin asked peering at the fingerless, black, leather gloves that looked exactly the same as the ones he had had for years.

"They're at home. Much too nice to have worn to the track," He answered his brother a little _too_ quickly. Mako's amber eyes darted quickly back to Korra.

"And, um, Mako gave me this." Korra's expression suddenly became very shy as she reached towards her collar. Everyone in their small group turned to look as the Avatar revealed the completely unique piece of jewelry. The beautiful blue flame sparkled in the setting sun, twinkling like a midnight star.

There was a sudden gasp from the edge of the courtyard. An kind, elderly woman's voice sounded as though it could not have been happier. "Korra, my dear, when did you get engaged?"

Mako's breath left his throat, and he felt as though he had been stuck in limbo. His world spun in slow motion as he looked towards the informant that had shared his secret. _Katara._

* * *

**And finished with chapter three. This was a harder chapter to write because I wanted things to move along at the same time that I wanted to reveal some info that's happened with the characters, but I didn't want to rush it. So, I'm very sorry if this has not met expectation, I promise the next will exceed them. Nonetheless, I do hope you enjoy this! Please review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter 3! Consider this a warning of what is to come in this chapter!**

* * *

Circular movements. It was almost a perfect dance. Her arms extended before her, strong and limber. The girl's blue eyes closed in concentration as she breathed deeply in and out, connecting to her spirituality. Korra's feet consistently rotated beneath her, constantly changing, searching for the path of least resistance.

As her airbending had become more experienced so had the flow of her movements, and her willingness to find peace while practicing the art. She had even begun to utilize her learned techniques to settle her violent temper and impulsive behavior at times. As with all of the elements that she had grasped before, she had begun to fully enjoy her ability to control the air around her, even sometimes taking advantage of the possibilities of the element of freedom. Yet, her talent practically matched, if it had not surpassed Jinora's, who was well on her way to earning her tattoos within the next couple of years.

Completing that set of training exercises, Korra strolled towards the gazebo for meditation. Although she knew she was supposed to clear her mind of any physical attachments, she let her thoughts wander from thoughts of the past, present, and future.

"Korra?" Tenzin had called her aside three months ago, the evening after her race with Asami, the evening that her engagement had been unintentionally announced. It had been after dinner, where thousands of congratulations and questions had been passed around the table by everyone, except for Tenzin.

Korra had excused herself after assisting Pema clean the kitchen to further practice airbending techniques. Mako, Bolin, and Asami had decided not to distract her during her intense practice, so they had stayed with the airbending childrden in heated discussion. In the middle of adjusting her disciplined routine, Tenzin had found her. His deep, kind voice had certainly surprised her.

"Your form has greatly improved," He complimented her in order to break the ice after their harsh words that morning.

"Thanks, Master Tenzin." Korra paused, scratching her upper arm, her eyes downcast as she was unable to look her sifu in the eye.

"Korra," Tenzin had stepped forward and set a hand on her shoulder. "I wanted to apologize, for what I said to you earlier today. I was wrong, and I want to you to know that I am sincerely sorry. You are not a sad excuse for an airbender, and I should not have said anything about your life outside of practice being trivial distractions. You are a fantastic, quick-learner, and you need that outside world. It is just as, if not more important than your mastering all the elements. I am honored to have you as my pupil, not simply because you are the Avatar, but because of that spirit of yours, your determination, and your heart. I hope you will forgive me, Korra. I am very proud of you."

The Avatar had been wrapped in her sifu's paternal embrace. Tenzin, was much like an uncle, one of the closest things she had to family during her time in Republic City. And, she longed for her surrogate family's approval, support, and love. "I was really disappointed in myself. I didn't want to anything but to prove to you and myself that I could succeed. For a little while I...even thought that I would...need to back out on Mako, at least until I mastered airbending. But, _I_ didn't _want_ to."

Tears had started to swell in Korra's bright, blue eyes, but her tough exterior had made herself fight to clear off the sting of potential heartbreak. Tenzin's guilt had become quite clear in his grayish-blue eyes. "You are an amazing person, Avatar Korra. I will not ever ask you to do such a thing. You must follow your heart in love, don't ever let yourself be persuaded from what makes you happy in this world. Because, there will be challenges that you are going to face, but you will face them together in your union. I actually wanted to wish you well in your engagement and future marriage. I wanted to give you my blessing in saying that Mako seems like a fine young gentleman, and I pray that you two will share a wonderful life together. Although, as I am your teacher and former guardian, I do wish he had asked me first."

She had chuckled and blinked through a few happy tears at the protectiveness in his tone of voice, "Thank you, Tenzin."

"Of course," He had hugged her once more, peering at her betrothal necklace. "He put a lot of thought and consideration into that. Your pendant's design is quite beautiful. Oh, and as your guardian I have to say, if he ever thinks about hurting you, I'll have his hide!"

In the middle of her meditation, Korra laughed, breaking her focus. The reaction to her secret had not been nearly as negative as she had expected. In fact, had actually been quite celebrated. As soon as Katara, who had been visiting Tenzin and his family, had accidently announced her engagement, and after the shock had passed, they received a warm reception. They were unable to deny what the necklace truly was, because Katara was afterall, from the Southern Water Tribe.

Asami had enthusiastically congratulated them. Even if Mako had been her former boyfriend, they had formed a much stronger friendship, as had she and Korra. Bolin had squeezed all of the oxygen out of his brother's lungs in a massive bear hug, overly excited that the Avatar would truly become a part of their family. Jinora and Ikki had swooned about just how romantic it was. And Meelo, while excited, the six-year-old had given his own proposal to Asami. Pema and Katara had asked rather practical and embarrassing questions, such as if they had set a date, if they had picked out a home, or when they had thought of starting a family. The two ladies, along with Korra's mother, Senna, had offered up all their assistances. It had turned out that Tonraq and Senna had already had the notion that Mako was going to propose, as he had sent a handwritten letter to them asking for permission for Korra's hand and requesting any information on Water Tribe engagement and wedding traditions.

A week after their engagement, Korra and Mako had set the date to be five months from Mako's proposal, so just under two months from now. Most everything had been planned and scheduled, and although she would not admit to it very willingly, Korra had really enjoyed the feminine aspects of it. For that reason, she was very appreciative Asami's, Pema's, and her mother's help. Her dress, though she had originally felt very self conscious at first, had been mutually agreed upon by her _judges_ to be absolutely stunning. Only a few last minute arrangements were left to be made, such as Mako's check-up with the caterer later this evening.

"You're supposed to _clear _your mind," A deep voice laughed behind her.

Tenzin's voice startled her to complete awareness. "Oh, Tenzin. Sorry, I know. I just have a lot on my mind."

The airbending master laughed, "I'm sure you do. You're a busy bride-to-be. You have a lot of planning to keep up with."

Korra turned around in her sitting position, her cheeks flushed by his words. She gave her master an exaggerated exasperated expression. "You're not kidding. Was your wedding with Pema so hectic?"

"Absolutely," He chuckled, "But, do you know what always helped me relax?"

The teenage Avatar raised an eyebrow, suspicious of the mischievous twinkle in her Sifu's blue-gray eyes. "What?"

From behind his back he levitated, in the palm of his hand, a small ball. He balanced it on the tip of his finger, and then blew it towards her. "Have any of the children showed you how to play airball?"

She juggled the ball in her hands with spouts of air. The children had shown her the game, but they had only gotten her to play with them once, as every match seemed to start and end with the exact _same_ argument. "Only like, once."

"Hmm," He stroked his beard contemplatively. Tenzin shrugged nonchalantly and turned, waving his arm for her to follow him, "Well every master airbender should know how to play."

"You're going to play me?" She exclaimed, chasing after him. Her feet now seemed to glide across the ground with her airbending, instead of beating heavily against the ground like an earthbender. But before she reached him, she came jolting to a stop. Tenzin turned to see what had stopped her from running after him with a grin. Korra stared at him with surpirsed blue eyes, and she stuttered, "Master? Me? Really?"

"Just about." He winked and Korra grabbed Tenzin in a massive bear hug. When she released him, he caught his breath. "Maybe if you can beat me in a game of airball."

"You serious?"

"Soon enough, Avatar."

Korra's mouth dropped open, but closing it, she gave him a traditional bow, "Thank you, Master Tenzin."

Tenzin returned the gesture. "You are welcome. You've just about earned it. Now, are you ready to be taught another lesson?"

She roughly blew the ball towards him, "You're on, old man."

* * *

The last whistle rang, signaling the end of the shift. Mako stood once he had completed his final strike of electricity, and pulled his welding mask off of his face. He wiped the sweat off of his brow. Though, both he and Korra made an income from the corporation Asami had started with them, he still found it refreshing to have a bit extra change on hand. A poverty-stricken life on the streets had taught him that one could never be too careful, or too prudent.

He smiled as he walked out onto the side walk, happy thoughts of the near future on his mind. Within the next hour was supposed to meet the caterer one last time. Mako double checked his careful instructions that Pema had jotted down for him. The trolley bell was already clanging, signaling to board, and luckily he made it.

The sun was setting when the trolley dropped him a few blocks from the multi-cultural cuisine restaurant, and a slight late winter breeze blew off of Yue Bay. Chilled, he pulled his father's scarf tighter around his neck. It was then that he noticed he was going to be late if he did not hurry. Madame Yu, a middle-aged woman that was a descendant of Fire Nation and Water Tribe parents smiled when she saw the young man enter her fine dining establishment.

"Am I late?" He asked, an apologetic look crossed his features.

She smiled, a few wrinkles crinkling around her eyes. Madame Yu motioned for him to sit with her at a table in the kitchen to not distract diners. "Of course not, Mako. You're right on time."

He gave her a relieved smile, graciously accepting the cup of tea she offered him. "You're expecting right at two-hundred people, correct?"

"Uh," Mako wasn't even sure if he knew two-hundred people. "Give or take ten."

"And you wanted a multinational buffet style?"

He double checked his list, "Yes, ma'am."

Madame Yu asked a series of questions that only lasted around an hour. Despite her friendliness, Mako knew she required another payment. And after writing her a check, he bowed respectfully and started to make his way back towards the trolley stop. He felt a sense of accomplishment as he begun his way back to Air Temple Island for dinner in the dark. Bolin would be there, and he knew that after they had eaten, they would make their way back to their refurnished apartment in the Bending Arena's attic.

But, he was quickly pulled from his thoughts by an eerily familiar noise. The narrow street was mostly empty of people. A few cars were parked along the sidewalk, and a breeze blew between the buildings. The street was not well-lit, though, only a few street lamps lit up the road up the road, but not on Mako's part of the block.

Mako's face whipped around to stare in shock at the other side the street when he heard it. A silhouetted group of figures stood at the entrance of an alleyway. But, as the events before him seemed to play out so rapidly, his own reactions, much to his utter horror, moved in what felt like slow motion. When he heard the scream enveloped into a flash of what could only be fire, he willed his body to run towards it. He shouted at the only standing figure, "Hey, you!"

He gritted his teeth in anger when the figure retreated into the alleyway. Out of his peripherals he took in the scene around him. A family, a younger family, had been mugged, brutally mugged. A crying young woman had wrapped her arms around a sobbing little boy and a man that Mako could only hope was simply unconscious. He barked as he ran past them, "Call the police, get help, but be careful."

Only his intuition guided him towards the criminal, but his natural knowledge of backstreets certainly gave him an advantage. When he reached the perpendicular end to the alley, he used his ears. He could hear the footsteps fall to his right, and he darted after the figure. As Mako gained on him, he could see the shadow of a man climbing a ladder near the edge of the next alleyway. The young probender had begun to gain on him, leaping from roof to roof. On the second attempt to jump, the thief fell short and landed in a heap of garbage bags. When he crash-landed, Mako was practically on top of him, his fists on fire.

Yet, the older man was fast, blocking the boy's fire blast. Threatened, the mugger went on the offensive, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick. Mako's youth created a greater sense of agility and speed though, and he sent a kick towards the man to create a shield of fire. He nearly had the man cornered, but Mako had never directly fought another firebender with such skill. Now close enough to see the man in the illumination, Mako hesitated when he noticed something familiar in the man's movement, earning a severely burned arm.

Mako cried out in pain and anger. Now, with only his one arm, Mako doubled his attack, burning the man in return. He hoped the police would arrive soon. Even if they were going to arrest him for such a fight, he knew that their arrival would bring a great deal of assistance. A blast of fire flew clear over his head as he ducked, and using a similar form of movement he had observed the chi blockers using, he temporarily paralyzed the man's right side with his one useful arm. But, as he grabbed the criminal by the throat and threateningly glared into his eyes, recognition dawned on him.

"You," His breath left him and his knees wobbled. He felt like the world around had begun to spiral out of control. He knew this man. He _hated_ this man. He had wanted this man dead for eleven long years.

In shock, his grip lessened. But, that was all the murderer needed. All he needed was that split second that Mako stalled, to strike. For a brief fraction of a second, Mako could feel absolutely nothing, he was numb to all of his senses. But, all within the same moment an unbearable amount of pain absorbed every fiber of his being, extending out from the deep impalement of the man's knife in his lower abdomen. His fear rising, his fight or flight instinct kicked into gear, and with one final strike, he set fire from his good arm, straight against his enemy's throat.

The man screamed in agony, but Mako was no longer able to pay attention. His vision doubled and blurred as he sunk to his knees. He wrapped his arm around his stomach, terrified that he would lose too much blood, or something else that was supposed to stay inside of him. He trembled uncontrollably, and unable to support himself simply on his knees, toppled over and rolled over onto the ground. The ground was sickeningly hot and sticky, and nearly passing out, he realized that it was his own blood that had created such a sensation.

"Oh, shit! I need a healer over here!" As his eyes narrowed further, struggling with consciousness, he thought that he saw several pairs of black, metal boots running towards him. He vaguely heard shouts being passed between what his hopes told him were police officers. Fighting to open his eyes one final time, he thought he saw a pair of tired, familiar, green eyes. Through what could only be described as a vacuum that slowed time, a woman's voice broke through, comforting and worried all the same. "Hang on, kid. You just hang on, okay? You hang on for her."

One final thought entered his mind. _Korra_. And then everything went dark.

* * *

"I told you I picked up on things fast," The Avatar teased her master, sharply throwing the ball at him. The pair had just completed their game of airball, and were strolling leisurely back towards the family's residence on Air Temple Island.

"I believe you, but I doubt you'll be able to beat me at air surfing," Tenzin countered.

"Air _what_?" Korra asked, her eyes sparking with glee.

"I'll show you tomorrow, after I'm done with group lesson. Meelo and Ikki have no business discovering a new way to harm themselves just yet," He sighed shaking his head.

When they walked in through the kitchen door, Meelo and Pema were in a discussion next to the stove. Korra laughed when she heard Meelo whine, "Why _can't_ I cook my pants?"

Pema shook her head at the arrivals, accepting a kiss from Tenzin, at which Meelo gagged. Korra greeted the loving air acolyte, and walked towards the door that led into the dining room. But, she stopped as the phone rang, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The six-year-old answered reached it first, "Hello? Uh-huh."

Meelo extended the receiver and speaker towards his father, "It's for you, Daddy!"

Tenzin accepted the phone pieces and asked his son, "Who is it, Meelo."

The little boy shrugged, "Somebody from somethin' somethin'."

"Yes, hello?" The air master greeted after huffing a large sigh. Korra observed as Tenzin's body language changed. As he listened to the other person on the phone, his face became very stricken. His voice was worried, "Yes, I understand. Thank you, Lin. I'll tell them. We're on our way."

"What happened?" Pema asked, concerned.

"Korra and I need to get to the hospital," He answered darkly. Immediately, Korra felt as though her stomach had taken a nose dive. "Pema, if you could contact Ms. Sato and tell her to meet us there. Meelo, get Bolin from the dining room. Korra, we need to head downtown. Now, I don't want you to panic, but someone has made an attempt on your fiances life. From what I heard, it sounds very severe and he is in critical condition. He's being well-taken care of, though."

"No," She breathed. A plate crashed on the floor behind her. As they ran towards Oogi, Korra found Bolin's arm around her, both concerned about the person they loved most in this world.

* * *

**Sorry if I broke any hearts! I know, poor Mako! You'll just have to wait 'til next chapter to see what happens next, which should be up very soon! I hope you liked that though, and the expansion of Korra and Tenzin's father-daughter like relationship.**


	5. Chapter 5

**And here is chapter 5! Enjoy!**

* * *

Someone was snoring, lightly, though definitely snoring. Listening more intently he thought that it sounded familiar. Then he heard what sounded like a page of a book turning. The second sense that came back to him was that of touch. The soft feeling of cotton sheets and a feather stuffed pillow were beneath him. And, that's when the pain returned. Now wrapped tightly in bandages, his abdomen maintained a dull, throb. His arm stung. It wasn't nearly as bad as it originally had been, but now he simply felt awful. In an effort to distract himself, he noticed a feminine grasp clung to his good fingers, and he gave them a slight squeeze.

Drowsily his amber eyes opened. He felt as though he had to fight his eyelids from closing. His vision was blurry, but after a few blinks, it returned to a mostly normal perspective of the world around him. The walls around him were painted a dark yellow and blue, respectively, and something about the colors lifted his spirits. An IV dripped into the arm that was not wrapped. To his right, was his brother, sound asleep and the source constant snoring. To his left, holding onto his hand, was a green-eyed young woman absorbed in her book.

"Asami?" His voice rasped.

Immediately upon hearing his voice, the raven-haired beauty laid her book down in her lap, still open to the page she had been reading, and glanced at him. An overjoyed smile spread across her features and she squeezed hand in return. Her voice was kind and low as she spoke, "Mako! Oh, good, I'm so glad you're finally awake. How do you feel? You look so much better. The doctors said you'll make a full recovery within no time, especially since Korra has been sneaking in her own healings."

She let out a small giggle at her friend's deviousness as she waited for Mako's response. "Huh? Wait, better? Because I feel worse than a pile of Tigerdillo shit."

"Well, I certainly don't doubt that. You were in pretty bad shape when you got here. For a little while we almost thought we had lost you." Asami's face twisted into a combination of sadness and relief. "It wasn't until after your surgery that they told us that you were going to all right. I've never seen Bolin hold his breath for so long."

"Surgery?" He breathed, the muscles were tensing around the location of his impalement and he groaned in pain. "How long was I out?"

Sympathetically she told him, "Right over a day. The doctors and healers had to make sure that none of your organs or arteries had been punctured, and that none of your clothing had entered your body. That would have caused an infection, so I heard. All of your internal stuff is fin, although, they have been monitoring how inflamed you are."

"Do I have an infection?" He rasped.

"Nothing major. Korra's made sure of that." She grinned at her friends deviousness.

He was not quite sure what had possessed him to try and sit up. Perhaps it was his eagerness to see his fiance. Ever since he had woken from his medically induced coma, he had longed to see her and let her know that everything would be all right, and her absence troubled him. As soon had tried to move, his abdomen felt as though it would tear apart at any second, and his arm felt as though it had been set on fire. He groaned in agony, but nonetheless, it was his stubbornness that encouraged him to reach his goal.

Instantaneously, Asami shot him a disbelieving look, shoving him firmly back against the mattress. She scolded him, "No, Mako! What are you thinking? Do you want to reopen it? You need to stay put for at least the next couple days so the stitches can heal."

Mako jutted his lower lip out in displeasure. Asami chuckled and her tone returned to its original honey sweet note, "She's down the hall speaking with Tenzin and Biefong. They just had to ask her a few questions to see if she had any idea as to how you got caught up in this mess. They've already talked to me and Bo. She was pretty upset when it was her turn to go. She was _more_ than worried about you, but then again, we all were."

Asami leaned over and gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek. "She'll be back really soon. I promise. She was pretty upset that they took her, but I hope that tea they gave her was calming."

"Thanks, Asami."

"No problem, Mako." She grinned before glancing across him at his sleeping younger brother. "Bo. Bolin! Wake up. Look who's finally awake."

The earthbender snorted, jolting into consciousness. He blinked his bleary green eyes and yawned, stretching. A joyful smile spread across his face, similar to Asami's. Like his typical self, his voice was loud with excitement. "Mako! How are you? I love you!"

"Love you too, bro.," He groaned, sparing his one living blood relative a smile. "I feel horrible."

Bolin's face fell slightly, "Yeah, well if Chief Beifong hadn't found you in time, I don't know if you would be feeling anything at all."

"So, it was Lin." He commented, reinforcing what he thought he had seen. The firebender swallowed, aware of just how truthful Bolin's words actually were. He certainly could have died, could have left his friends and family until they joined him in the spirit world. And all at once, memories of his horrible experience came flooding back. His heart rate accelerated and he paled dramatically. "The family!"

His outburst caused a surge of pain to shoot through his abdomen, and he thrashed in his suffering. But, he no longer gave any mind to the pain other than what he was reliving. His voice was panicked and was practically raised to hysteria as he screamed, "The family! They have to be alive! They can't be dead! They can't be dead! Tell me they're alive!"

His amber eyes glazed over as relived vivid images of his past. Sweat rolled down his temples, his breath was short, he felt like he was choking, a new pain had developed in his chest, and he trembled uncontrollably. He hardly noticed when Asami barked something at Bolin and ran out of the room. Mako was lost in his own world, and he shouted, "Murderer! I...I saw him! I should have killed him! Mom! Dad!"

Mako could hardly feel his brother's strong hands grasp his shoulders, and it sounded as though his voice were coming above a deep pool of water. He only caught a few of his brother's words, "Mako...all right...Mako!"

The young firebender's main focus was inside of his flashback, but he managed to see the silhouettes of figures running into his room. More hands were on him, and he yelped at the touch. But one pair was calming. One pair of strong, feminine hands had taken healing water to the sides of his face. As the cool liquid washed his fears away, he gasped. He could feel his heart rate and pulse stabilize, he no longer trembled with anxiety, and his breath steadied. He sighed, calmer, as a pair of soothing lips briefly graced his.

He was now fully aware of his surroundings and the pain in his abdomen, but only one person had his attention. Above him, a pair of teary blue eyes hovered. Her hands were still on the sides of his temples. She placed kisses all across his face before wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

He groaned, flinching as a healer ran a set of stitches through the puncture wound he had reopened. But Korra held him tightly, making sure he would not move. She ran her fingers through his tousled black hair and whispered, "Everything is all right, Mako. Everything is going to be all right. I promise."

That was the last thing he heard before being put back under a medically induced coma.

* * *

She was there when he woke up the next time. Just her. Her cheek rested on her crossed arms next to his face. A wisp of brown hair blew back and forth as she breathed lightly in sleep. He had already previously decided that while asleep, she looked unbelievably beautiful, now he was reinforcing that opinion tenfold. A small smile moved across his lips as he brushed back the stray hair.

The mere touch startled her back into consciousness, and he took a mental note on just how unusual it was for Korra to be such a light sleeper. She gave him a loving smile, grasping his hand on her cheek.

"Hi," He whispered.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" She gave a cynical laugh. "Don't you think that's a question that I should be asking you?"

"If you want to."

"I think I already know the answer to that, so I'm not going to ask. Based on my last healing that I snuck in, apparently the healers here want to do it all themselves, I could probably tell you how _you _are." She gave him a devious grin.

"Alright, Avatar Korra, enlighten me," He teased.

Korra unwrapped the bandages around his waist. She close her eyes in concentration as she bended water from a glass at his bed side. Breathing out, she moved her hands across the incredibly toned surface of his stomach. Beneath her finger tips was a thin puncture wound that now appeared a few days old. Dried blood had crusted over top of it in a scab formation. "Well, it was very deep, so that's where the majority of my concentration has gone. I've gone from the bottom up. From what I can tell, the abdominal muscles that were torn have mostly healed, but there's still a lot of scar tissue and baby tissue. That's probably why it's so tender, combined with all of your internal and external bruising. The skin is starting to rebuild, but I still need a few more sessions to get you back to normal. Even after I'm done though, you'll still probably feel like crap because of how sore you are. I haven't focused as much on your arm. Your healers have. You're going to have a big burn scar up your right arm. I just figured that this could have been fatal. I'm sorry."

"Come here," He requested, gently pulling her face towards his. He kissed her with all the love he could pour into one action. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? Besides, I would have strangled you if I had lost you. There is no way you are getting out of marrying me so easily."

"I'm glad to hear it, because I don't plan on going anywhere. It looks like we're going to be stuck putting up with each other after all." His eyes scanned over her necklace that she had faithfully worn every single second since he had given it to her.

"So close." Korra snapped her fingers mockingly.

"A tad too close if you ask me," Mako agreed with an incredulous expression.

Beneath her fingers she could feel his heart rate begin to accelerate once again. But, before he had paled too much, she had moved her calming hands to his temples. Having sensed an oncoming panic attack, she cooed, "Mako, you'll be fine. I'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you. That family that you were asking about earlier, they're all okay. The dad just had a pretty bad burn. That's all. You're a hero. I know that little boy, Yusei is his name. He's a really nice kid, he's a little older than Meelo. I saw him out in the waiting room, he idolizes you."

A wave of relief washed over him with the knowledge that he had helped preserve something for a child that he himself had lost so early in life. A family. And now knowing his name made the situation all the more real. In spite of his valor, a twinge of disappointment still lingered in the pit of his stomach. "The thief? The guy that tried to kill me?"

Korra shrugged sadly, "They're still looking for him."

Mako's face grew cold and a wave of nausea swept over him. Korra noticed the shift in his behavior and tried to provide him with comfort. "There's a search warrant out. Don't worry about it. I doubt he'll be trying to mug anyone anytime soon. The police will find him. Or, I could. You have no idea how much I've wanted him dead since the moment I saw you in here. I could give him a little taste of what it's like to mess with Avatar Korra."

She pounded one of her fists into the palm of her hand, determined. Even though she had a slightly arrogant tone, Mako knew for certain that she was not joking about hunting the criminal down. He grasped her wrist and whispered, "Don't. Korra, that man...I knew him. He...he murdered my parents."

Her mouth hung slightly ajar. "Oh. I'm so sorry, Mako."

He pulled her close, "Promise me. Do. Not. Go. After. Him."

She hesitated. She did not want to make any promises she could not keep, but Mako could not stand to see someone else he loved harmed by the same person. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine."

* * *

Mako was not entirely sure how he was supposed to react about receiving flowers during his time in the hospital. The first bouquet that he had received, which had been from Ikki, had been a source of great confusion for the young man. He had never been the recipient of such a gift and had always figured that they were typically a feminine present. But, unwilling to hurt the little girl's feelings he had accepted them graciously, complementing them on their beauty. Ikki had exclaimed that she had known all along that he would love them. Proud of herself, she squeezed him around the neck and kissed him on the cheek, along with her sister, Jinora, who had brought Mako a book titled 的折弯防火史.

"A History of Firebending," Mako had read aloud. "Cool! Thank you, Jinora."

The second set of flowers he had received had been from none other than his brother, who had admitted to stealing the idea from Ikki. Bolin had given him an innocent smile and told him, "They brighten up your room!"

Silently, he had to agree that the Tiger Lilies did in fact bring a happy vibe to his hospital dorm. Asami had bought him a new racing helmet, and Korra had bought him a plush Fire Ferret, part of their team's merchandise. When he made a joke about being admitted into intensive care more often, he received an instant dousing from Korra, who had been changing the water in the flower vases.

On the day before he was discharged, a third bunch of flowers had been delivered to his room by none other than the people he had rescued a few days before. The young woman who introduced herself as Wan, had her arm wrapped around her husband's waist as the three shyly approached his bedside. Yusei, the little boy that Korra had spoken of, peered at him bashfully from behind his father's leg. Mako, while it made him happy to see such a thing, felt a slight twinge of jealousy as the young father smiled down at his son.

"We wanted to tell you just how grateful we are. You saved my husband's life, my child's, mine. I don't know how we could ever repay you. If Keoni and I could ever do anything for you, it would be our honor," Wan insisted.

At last aloud to sit up, the young firebender did so. He gave them a stern look as he said, "No, you don't have to repay me. Please. It was something I wanted to do."

Wan, a woman who appeared to be of Earth Kingdom descent, gave her Water Tribe looking husband an uncertain expression. But, Mako continued, "Were you healed alright? Did you get to the hospital right away?"

"They took great care of me. Just a little scarring," Keoni, a man that only looked about five years older than Mako, answered. He made a circular motion around his chest.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be sorry at all! He got you worse than me!"

"Aren't you a probender?" Yusei interrupted, after having stared consistently at Mako in semi-recognition.

"Yeah, I am."

"That's so cool! My dad took me to some of your matches last year! I can't bend, but I love watching you, your brother, and the Avatar play. You guys are my favorite! Are you gonna play this year?"

"Not the first few weeks he isn't," A healer that had just stepped inside of his room interjected.

Both Mako and the little boy gave her a begrudging glare. "You've got to be kidding me! The season starts soon."

"No. I'm sorry, honey, but you have to be fully recovered before you take on anything too intense. You need to give yourself at least four weeks before you can begin practice, and another week before you actually get out in the ring," She ran healing water over his burned arm. "And I'm going to put you under the watch of your teammates. I would not disagree with the Avatar."

* * *

"Break a leg," He told his fiance and fellow teammate as he gave her an encouraging kiss on the cheek.

Mako glumly sat down next to Asami on the bench in their locker room. He eyed them with envy as they rode the platform out to the probending ring for the Fire Ferrets first match of the season. The firebender glared intently at his temporary stand-in, Tamal, who greeted the crowd like he was their savior. Something about Tamal did not sit right in his stomach. Maybe it was his three-week-old puncture wound, but Mako was certain that he did not like him for a reason. As their official sponsor, Asami had taken the liberty to arrange interviews and trials for substitutes months before the season began, in case of any serious injuries to her players. From the very first time he had looked at Tamal during his interview, Mako had not liked him. Perhaps it was because he _knew_ he was better than the other firebenders that had tried out. Or most likely, it was the way he had eyed Korra, Asami, and every other attractive young lady like a piece of meat. Tamal stared at them like a predator. Something dark in his overly-innocent amber eyes had caught Mako's attention, and he was not about to sit by idly.

In annoyance he huffed, "I hate sitting out."

Asami raised her eyebrows skeptically, "How do you think I feel more than half of the time?"

"Oh." He blushed, embarrassed over his slip of the tongue. Sitting next to the nonbender that was so passionate about probending, he realized that he probably should not have said anything about his irritation. "Sorry. I wasn't really thinking about it."

"It's fine," She reassured her friend. "Sometimes I just think it would be fun to knock some rocks up against somebody, but I've got my own self-defense techniques and I don't need bending to look after myself."

"And that is one of the many things I admire about you, Asami."

"Suck up," She accused with a grin.

He shrugged nonchalantly, returning his attention to the match before him. Shiro Shinobi's voice could be heard over the loud speaker, but he was focused so intently that he could have been involved in the round himself. Mako stared intently as he watch Korra and Bolin double teaming the Tigerdillos' firebender as Tamal deflected the other player's shots. The opposing firebender was easily pushed back into zone two, followed shortly by the waterbender. Mako smiled when he heard the buzzer ring, signaling the end of the first round, and a win for the Fire Ferrets.

The Tigerdillos came back with a vengeance in the second. They worked as one unit instead of separate pieces, and rained havoc down upon the Tigerdillos. Mako made an irritated noise in the back of his throat as he watched his brother and future wife work together defensively, while Tamal acted like his own one man show. Coincidentally being knocked all the way back to zone three. As they barked instructions to one another, the Tigerdillo earthbender threw four discs at his two opponents nearest him. Although, it would have been nice for them to have found their footing in time, both had crossed over the line. The Tigerdillos advanced just in time to win the second round.

"It's anybody's game, folks!" Shiro Shinobi announced.

Clearly frustrated for being pushed back two zones, Tamal opened fire on his opponents. His blast exceeding one second, the referee issued a foul, which sent the Fire Ferrets back to zone two.

"He's so infuriatingly arrogant! That idiot is going to lose us this match," The young man complained. He clutched his abdomen in discomfort that was caused by his tenseness.

"Tamal will only be around for a few more weeks. And then the game is all yours again, Captain. You need to be fully healed before you can get back out there."

"Maybe I could get Korra to give me a few more healing sessions. You know? So I could speed this process along."

Mako smirked when he saw his feisty sweetheart chastise the arrogant firebender in in the ring with her. As soon as she had spoken up, Bolin, Korra, and Tamal finally began to function completely together as a team. Each fought with enough ferocity to regain their territory, but the clock was ticking. A tie-breaker in the first match of the season would be risky. Just as the thought came to mind, Tamal became daring once more. Instead of flamethrowing, though, he used repetitive short blasts, which easily knocked the distracted waterbender back two zones.

"Look's like the Fire Ferrets firebending replacement is really starting to bounce back! He's all offense, folks. He's throwing strike after strike. I can hardly make out anything but fire in that ring!" Shinobi's voice echoed around the arena. "What's this? It looks like the Tigerdillo's waterbender has put up a shield and is seeking his revenge. The Avatar has stepped in, folks. She's on fire! Not literally as she's only supposed to be bending water, but everything that the opposing waterbender has thrown, she's thrown straight back. She's just snatched up his last moved, and she's whipping it back. She's spreading it out across all three opponents, and I don't believe it, folks! It's a full knockout! The Fire Ferrets snatch the first win of the season!"

"Yes!" Mako and Asami cheered as their friends returned to the locker room! The young man made sure to high-five everyone except for Tamal, just to make his dislike for him known. Unexpectedly, Korra was swooped off her feet and gathered in a congratulatory kiss. Against her lips he laughed as he moaned with the strain on his core, "Ow."

"Gack!" Bolin gagged from the beside them, but all Mako did was push him away. He could still hear him pretending to be sick, and Asami giggled.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Korra breathed into his ear, echoing a phrase he had told her long ago.

* * *

**Well, I wrapped up that Mako is certainly okay, but will he be for long? Dun dun dun! You'll have to keep reading to find out! I will definitely be bringing up more of the mugger/murderer in the future, and Tamal will probably be related to a few significant events. And jsyk, that was definitely a panic attack Mako had. I figured since he pretty much suppresses a lot of what he feels, and has just gone through a very traumatic event, he could possibly afford a slight breakdown. I'm sorry if any of them seemed a little ooc. That was NOT my intention! Please let me know how I did, how you think, feel, if you have any questions or comments. In other word please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**And the moment you've all been waiting for...**

* * *

"Ah, man," She groaned. _Everything _was by far too loud. The birds chirping outside her windows sounded more like horns blasting against her eardrums. The late morning sunlight streaming into her room blinded her. Her head was pounding in a splitting migraine, which was only made worse from the pressure on her sinuses, and her throat burned. Sitting up, she placed her face in her hands. "I can't be sick. I don't get sick."

"Korra," A lady's voice called from behind her bedroom door. There was a knock before it was slid open. Senna smiled at her daughter, but with such a headache, Korra could hardly return it. She sneezed as her mother approached. Putting her arms around Korra, she said, "Are you not feeling good, honey?"

The young Avatar shook her head from side to side. "Just a cold."

Senna pulled her daughter into a hug, resting her chin on top of the young woman's forehead. She ran her fingers through Korra hair. Her fingertips massaged the back of her head and worked their way to pressure points across her. Korra sighed as some of the pain was alleviated. "Thank you, Mom."

"It's what I'm here for." The middle-aged Water Tribe woman kissed her forehead. "I'm so proud of you Korra, and the young lady you've become. I'm so honored to have raised such a wonderful person. I hope that someday, you and Mako will be able to experience what your father and I had with you. Congratulations, Korra. Now, you go take a hot bath and relax for about fifteen minutes. I'll be back in a little bit with some tea, soup, and some help. You have a long day ahead of you."

After adding soothing minerals to the tub, Korra had definitely begun to loosen. Taking a large breath, she slid beneath the surface of the steamy water. She placed her hands against her head in a healing motion. As the glowing liquid around her palms made contact with her scalp, she could feel the cold that she had woken up with ebb away from existence.

Despite her life changing arrangement that was bound to take place within the next three and a half hours, she was not nervous. In fact, the anxiety she felt for her upcoming airbending test was far greater. Blowing bubbles through her mouth, she contemplated her lack of butterdragonflies. Weren't most brides on edge the day of their weddings? Wasn't that normal? Yet, then again, Korra was _not_ normal. She grinned, running soap through her hair as she felt a twinge of pride for her uniqueness. Maybe she wasn't scared because she was so confident about starting her life with Mako, confident about the fact that they loved each other. Today was simply the official celebration of them joining together. They would be, after today, physically, spiritually, and legally a team.

She was so focused that when someone knocked on her bathroom door that she nearly jumped out of the tub in surprise. Korra recognized her mother's voice returning. "Korra, are you almost finished?"

"Yeah, Mom!" She said, grabbing her towel. The bathroom door opened to reveal her mother, Asami, and Pema. The first thought that registered in her mind was that she had not noticed that her mother had already had her make-up on. The second was that all of three of them, apart from their dresses and removing the curlers from their hair, were practically ready for the main event. And the third, was that they were intruding. She glared as she wrapped the towel around herself. Clearly, the post-headache crankiness had just arrived. "Do you _mind_?"

"Relax." Pema responded, taking a towel to her husband's student's wet head. "We're all women here. We know _exactly_ what you look like."

With a cup of hot ginseng tea forced into her hands, they sat her down on a stool before the large mirror. As she was not typically one to do anything with her hair besides put it into a ponytail and two front wolftails, she cringed as it was tugged at, pulled, and parted. Asami put a bottle in front of her and firmly, but calmly, ordered, "Moisturize. Now."

As soon as she was finished with one task, Asami handed her another. A toothbrush was placed in her palm. "Brush."

"Ow! That's my head you're trying to tear apart."

"_Sorry!" _Asami snapped as she raked a comb through her hair. Korra raised her eyebrows at her friend's tone. Ms. Sato was clearly in a part of her element. Since her first ride on the Future Industries test track, Korra had mostly come to know the Asami that chose excitement and adventure over gossip and girlish squabbles. So it was intriguing to see her perform her cosmetology magic. When she turned her head without permission she was berated with a, "Do not, fidget!" or a, "If you move one more time, I swear-."

While Asami sorted through her drying hair, Pema and Senna were at work on her fingernails and toenails. After getting past the initial tangles, Korra began to actually enjoy the light tingly feeling that came with being pampered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Of course, sweetheart."

"It's your day, and you are going to look perfect," Asami grinned at her in the reflection. She had parted Korra's hair down the middle, and had gelled it back so her bangs were not in her face. Though the bottom of her hair had been pulled back tightly, the top layer was loose and settled daintily. The hair that hung loose had been placed into a perfect spherical bun on the back of the top of her head. Careful not to move any piece of hair out of place, Asami crossed two ivory chopsticks.

Having her make-up done was not nearly as comfortable, and the brush pushing consistently across her eyelids was incredibly agitating, as was the penciled eyeliner. As Ms. Sato began to apply mascara to her friends face, she informed her, "Since you aren't usually one to wear make-up, you'll barely need any. But, just incase, I'm going to apply an extra layer."

Korra was incredibly lucky that no one touching her, as one startled mistake would have meant several minutes of repair, when her bedroom door flew open. A male voice echoed from the doorway, "I think she's in here. Hey, Korra, are you in here?"

In the mirror's reflection she saw a stocky figure wearing a formal, grey Tang Suit approach the bathroom. His green eyes grew wide when he realized that no one was decent. The three ladies in robes and their project, who was wrapped in nothing but a towel, turned to give him mixed looks of irony, anger, and confusion.

Korra's voice was the most clear. "Bolin. What. _The._ Hell?

Mortified, Bolin instantly clamped his hands over his eyes and darted from view, "I didn't see _anything_!"

As his footsteps rapidly trampled down the, Asami returned to her work, now applying a base. Pema and Senna, who had finished her nails, went to work on uncurling their own hair. Ikki and Jinora's face popped into view of the mirror from Korra's room. Both were dressed and appeared to be ready, and bored, they had made their way to check up on the bride.

Jinora informed them instantly, "We asked Bolin if he knew where you were. So don't blame him entirely."

"He knows how to knock," The Avatar retorted.

"Ooo!" Ikki squealed. She got as close to Asami and Korra as she possibly could without being in the way. "Korra! You look so beautiful! Just like a real princess! Are you and Mako going to live in a candy palace? Like the one I told you I wanted! Are you going to have your honeymoon where there's rainbows? Where is your dress? I haven't seen it yet! What does it look like? Why is Asami doing your make-up? Can't you do it? I've seen you playing with make-up before!"

Korra muttered, "I don't _play_ with make-up, Ikki."

"Stop moving!"

Shortly afterwards, the girls were dismissed by their mother, who encouraged them to see if their father needed any help with Meelo or Rohan. With their distracting presence out of the area, Korra's beautification was finished almost instantly. Pema and Senna had finished dressing already, so as Asami prepared the final touches on herself and put on her own maid of honor dress, they assisted Korra. Senna was slightly teary-eyed as she withdrew from from a box on Korra's dresser, a stunning blue halter neck Cheongsam. A bedazzled floral pattern ran across the dress, adding darker shades of blue along with speckles of silver. From the bottom of her neck to around the curve of her breasts the material was sheer. The dress was paired with navy quarter-length gloves and dangling silver earrings.

There was a small gasp from behind her, and she turned to grin at her best female _human_ friend. She suppressed the little wave of jealousy she felt for Asami's beauty, and for a fleeting second she wished she could have that glamor. Asami looked gorgeous in her knee-length, short sleeved amaranth cheongsam. But it did not appear that Asami had any interest in what she looked like at the moment. She was far too transfixed by her Water Tribe friend. "You look amazing, Korra! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?"

Korra almost gasped herself. When she looked into the reflection she saw a confident young woman that looked as though any man would quickly die for her affection. She touched the glass, just to be sure that this girl's movements paralleled her own. They did. In the mirror was what looked the epitome of high society. Apart from her permanent devilish smirk and her mischievous blue eyes, and of course her hair color, it would have been hard to have told the difference between her and the moon spirit.

* * *

"Air Acolytes are probably the most helpful people on the planet," She murmured in awe, spying from the edge of the alcove just how magnificent the courtyard looked in preparation. The mid afternoon sun shone brightly in early spring, as though the Sun Spirit himself was delighted to see the Avatar's wedding.

"I'd probably have to agree with that," Tonraq chuckled from her side. They were waiting patiently behind hedges, out of the site of their audience, as the bridal procession made their way down the isle. Naga, with Pabu on her shoulders and a basket of flower had led the way. Mako had been next, escorting Senna, his soon to be mother-in-law, with whom he had spent quite a few months in the South Pole. Following them were Ikki and then Jinora, who Korra had invited to be her junior bridesmaids. After Jinora was Asami, her maid of honor, escorted by Bolin, Mako's best man. The tsungi horn's tunes switched to the melody of the old song 'Four Seasons,' and Tonraq glanced down at his daughter. "Looks like we're on."

"You got me, Dad?" Korra whispered, wrapping her arm a little tighter around his. The last thing she wanted was to be the mockery of everyone the crowd from tripping over her heel.

"Always," He answered, flashing her an identical grin.

Everyone was staring at her, everyone except for one person in particular. As she walked down the aisle she tried to pick out all of the memorable faces in the crowd. There was Tenzin and his whole family including his siblings, Katara, the White Lotus guards and members, her parents, Lin, a few of the metalbending police, General Iroh, Korra's Firebending and Earthbending teachers, all of the council members and their families, Toza the Wolfbats, Shiro Shinobi, Skoochy and some of the other kids Mako and Bolin had grown up with on the streets, Shady Shin and a few other Triple Threat members that had befriended the brothers, and many others. She could not keep count. Half way to the alter, the holy man made a motion for the groom to turn around.

Mako obeyed, a little taken off guard. His mouth hung slightly ajar when he saw the girl he loved being escorted to him. Albeit, almost instantly his expression shifted to that of pure love, amazement, and pride. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, and Korra was intrigued by just how handsome he looked. The firebender wore a black, single breasted, wedding Tang Suit. The material was fine, and his cuffs were patterned beautifully as if there were several crimson and golden dragons dancing his wrists. His black slacks certainly flattered him, and his bride was a little embarrassed when she caught herself blatantly checking out his rear end. But, no one seemed to notice. All eyes were mesmerized by the perfect scene before them.

When she and her father stopped their walk, Korra stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too," He responded to his fiery princess. He hugged her, and looked her once more in the eye before his tough little girl became a married woman. Tonraq placed a kiss on her forehead , and whispered to her, "If you ever need anything at all, you know where home is."

Tonraq extended her right hand out to Mako, who eagerly accepted with his left hand. Looking the young man in the eye, he ordered, "Take care of my daughter, son."

"I will, sir. I promise." He grasped his father-in-law's free hand with his own before turning and smiling down at his bride.

While he led her up the small flight of stairs she mouthed to him, "Don't let me fall."

Pausing to kiss her temple on the second stair, he whispered, "Never."

"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Avatar Korra and Mako in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife." The holy man spoke to the crowd holding a golden thread. He turned back to the couple and wound the thread around both of their wrists. "Do you vow to protect one another and take care of each other?"

Not peeling their eyes off of their significant other, they nodded, mouthing 'I love you's.'

"Very well, please recite your vows to one another, so that all of us here and the spirits above may pay witness and uphold you to these promises," The Guru instructed.

Mako spoke the first part of the traditional wedding pledges. "I will cherish you and provide welfare and happiness to our family."

"I will treasure the moments I have with you and together we will be responsible for our family and home," Korra responded.

"Together, we will protect one another, our house, and all the children we are blessed with."

"I will stand by your side as your courage and strength. We will rejoice in each other's happiness, and mourn in each other's sorrows. We will love each other solely."

"May we prosper and strive for wisdom in our family. May we live a long life together and remain faithful to one another."

"No other man shall come before you in my life. I will love you solely for the rest of this life and the one that we will share in the Spirit World."

"You have blessed my life and have completed me. May our family remain noble and honorable." The groom said.

The bride smiled back shyly. "I will shower you with joy, as you have done for me. I will strive to be everything for you in anyway I can."

"You are my best friend and my most loyal supporter. I will never doubt you."

"You are my most precious companion and I promise to trust you."

"May you be filled with joy and peace in our union."

"I will always be content by your side."

"We are one. You are mine and I am yours for eternity," His mouth was dry from speech as he recited his final line, yet he beamed broadly at her.

"We are now husband and wife. We will love, honor, and cherish one another forever," The Avatar answered, excitement bubbling inside of her.

The Guru gestured for them to step towards the alter, upon which were three candles. Mako and Korra each grabbed their own individual candle and proceeded to light them with firebending. Simultaneously, they dipped their flames onto the third larger candle between them. Flames still burning on their own small candles, they mounted them next to the Unity Candle, and stepped away from the alter.

"On this day you make a new light together, symbolizing the two becoming one. May you also continue to recognize that separateness from which your relationship has sprung. May the lights of your own special lives continue to feed the new flame of love which will fuel your future together through all its hopes and disappointments, its successes and failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows, a future filled with the warmth and love of the flame you share today." The Holy Man unwrapped the golden thread around their wrists. "By the power vested in me by Republic City and the Spirits, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mako, you may kiss your bride."

In her minds eyes there was no applause, not catcalls and wolf whistles. There was only her and Mako. Her and her husband. Mako wrapped his left hand around the back of her neck for support, and his right arm around her waist as he dipped her slightly in a passionate kiss. Korra's eyes closed dreamily and she threw her arms around his neck, her hands moving through his previously well-combed hair. She lost track of time. It could have been years or maybe only seconds that they had hung in their own personal limbo. Though disappointed when they finally retreated for oxygen, she knew that the separation would not be for long.

* * *

"May I cut in?" Mako asked, tapping on Tenzin's shoulder. Korra had been passed off so many different times during the reception that he could count on one hand just how many songs he had gotten to dance through with his new wife. There had been their first as husband and wife, but the dancing was soon interrupted by dinner which they had hardly gotten to touch, cake cutting, and toasts. All of the speeches had been heartfelt, sweet, and encouraging, but only a few had really riled the crowd with laughter.

"Of course. Congratulations," Tenzin answered. Giving her a fatherly kiss on the forehead, he handed his current dancing partner over to her husband.

"Did I tell you just how beautiful you are?" He smirked at her, swinging her to the beat of a jazzed 'Girls From Ba Sing Se.'

"You could spare to mention it."

"Well, you are definitely the most spectacular sight," He whispered into her ear. "Now tell me, if you could have any one thing in this world right this very second, what would it be?"

She did not need any time to ponder on the topic. "A break from dancing. My feet are killing me in these shoes."

From the look on his face, he seemed a bit disappointed by her unwillingness to dance any longer. Nonetheless, he obliged and they returned to the Head Table of the reception party, behind which Naga had been resting. When they had made themselves comfortable, she scratched Naga behind the ears and earned a slobbery greeting. Laughing at her beloved companion, she questioned, "What about you?"

He gave her a half-smile, "For my parents to be here. I know they both would have loved you. My mom would probably be making sure Bolin behaved himself, and fixing my hair every few minutes. And, my dad would probably be convincing you to dance with him whether or not your feet hurt."

"Way to really downgrade my wish," Korra scoffed, rolling her big blue eyes teasingly with Naga's gigantic head in her lap. "They're definitely here, Mako. I don't know how I know, maybe it's my spiritual Avatar side, but they're here. I can just tell."

"Seriously?" He inquired, raising a dark eyebrow skeptically. "Since when are _you_ a medium?"

"Hardy-har-har," Korra mocked in a flat, monotone voice. "You want me to try going into the Spirit World and checking for you?"

"I think I would prefer it if you didn't. No Avatar business today, please." He grasped her hand.

"Hey, Mako," A hand grasped his shoulder, and Korra looked up across the table to see that the speaker was none other than an infamous gangster. "We're gonna bounce. There's too many cops crawling around here for my liking."

"Alright, Shin," The firebender shook his old friend's hand. "Just be careful on your way out."

The older man gave him a mischievous smirk. "You think I haven't already planned my way off this rock? And, hey, my offer is still open until midnight tonight. Anyways, congratulations. You're a lucky man. Congratulations on your nuptials, Avatar Korra."

"I don't believe Bo, or I, going to be able to accept, but thank you."

"What was his offer?" Korra murmured out of curiosity once they were alone again.

He shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he's recruiting some extra hands for transporting their..._supplies_. But, there's a pretty good chance that there'll be a few heists and rumbles along the way. There's no need to risk being arrested, or sacrifice tonight."

Neither could look the other directly in the eye after his statement, as between each other it was verbally taboo. Both, with shy smiles, seemed to find anything but each other absolutely fascinating. Korra wondered if she had ever seen him turn so cherry red. Yet, unable to stand that sort of silence between them, she grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him roughly. She could feel his lips melt against hers. Slightly uncomfortable with actual flirting she honestly, but jokingly said, "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

"Are...um...are-?" He stumbled over his words.

"Ah!" There was a whine from behind them. "You're leaving?"

"Well they have an hour drive, Ikki," Jinora informed her. The two airbenders, along with their maid of honor and best man, had apparently made their way over to the temporarily secluded couple.

"Oh, for their honeymoon! Where are you going?" Ikki climbed atop Korra's polar bear dog.

Before Jinora could answer, Bolin's responded informatively. "The Village Resort. It's very fancy and lavish. The are hot springs, massages, and the _best_ part are the free robes."

"It's on the Su Oko River," Asami added.

"Only for the first few days," Mako corrected, standing and then leaning against the table. "We're going to take a boat to Ember Island on Wednesday."

"You kids promise to call the island once you get to the Village Resort, so we know that you made it there safely," Senna interjected. Korra's parents had approached the table, aware that it was nearly time for the bride and groom to depart.

"We will," The Avatar promised. She had removed her uncomfortable shoes, and her animal guide's head from her lap after giving her one last hug. Korra stood to embrace her parents. "If there's a phone."

Approximately forty minutes later, after many farewells consisting of well-wishes, congratulations, and thanks, Korra and Mako were finally able to make their way onto the ferry with their luggage and car. With a twenty minute ride across Yue Bay out of the way, all they had to manage was a sixty minute drive south on a highway through the United Republic until they reached their first destination. As Mako drove along the cliffside with an ocean view to their right, Korra served as navigator only after agitated debate over would be at the wheel and who would be reading from the map.

"There's only one road, and I won't be getting off until the river," Korra had argued, pointing her finger at him as they stood behind the car as the ferry rapidly approached the dock. "I don't need a map. Let me drive."

Though Mako obviously found Korra absolutely endearing in her wedding dress with such a hot temper, he completely disagreed. "Korra, you're crazy! It's going to get dark. It would make a whole lot more sense to have a map just in case, and I _know_ you won't listen to me if you're driving. We don't want to wind up lost."

Like competitive children, they had raced each other for the driver's seat when the horn blew, signaling that the boat had come into port. Mako, who had been on the driver's side and had had the head start, won by only a fragment of a second, much to her irritation. She punched him hard, square in the shoulder and had teased him about finding his way out of the city, which he succeeded in without error. The _City_ _Boy_ had given her a smug look, and she returned it with her tongue sticking out.

After their playful jibes about whose driving was better had ceased, the rest of their drive was fairly peaceful. The first thirty minutes of their drive, the sun hung over the ocean, slowly turning the sky orange, pink, red, and then an ultramarine that was quickly blanketed by a starlit navy. Clutching his scarred, right hand, she pointed out the celestial bodies that would surface back in the South Pole, and gave the story behind them.

"Katara used to share stories that she had learned on her adventures, with me. That group right there is said to be The River of Fate." She pointed to a large cluster in the southwestern sky. "According to legend, a young sun warrior by the name of Niulang came across the five sister spirits that cared for the land around his village. They were swimming in a creek, and he stole all of their clothes. He only agreed to give them back if one of them married him. One, the youngest, boldest, and most beautiful, by the name of Zhinu, accepted. They lived very happily together, falling in love, and even had three children. But one day Zhinu's mother discovered that her daughter had married a mortal. Furious, her mother demanded she return to her work of caring for the land, which she had neglected during her time with Niulang. Distraught over her disappearance, Niulang gathered his children, and together they went searching for their lost mother. But, once she realized that he was looking for her daughter, Zhinu's mother carved a wide, deep, and swift river between the two in order to separate them forever. Niulang's ability to manipulate fire could nothing for their situation, and so he sat on the side of the bank watching his wife. He still sits there, forever taking care of their three children. Zhinu sits across from him, on the distance bank, only tending the land around her. Once a year, though, Zhinu's sisters take pity on the lovers and form a bridge across the river so they can be united for just that one night."

"That's really sad. I can't _imagine_ being separated from you like that." Even though his amber eyes were on the road ahead of him, Korra could see the pity etched across his features for the mythical lovers.

"Well, it's a good thing you won't have to be," She promised. Her gaze tilted upwards to see the two stars on either side of the long collection, that represented Zhinu and Niulang. On Zhinu's side were five other stars representing her sorrowful sisters and her ever-watching mother. On Niulang's side were three smaller stars, that represented their children. More to herself she muttered, "It is sort of romantic though. At least they get _one_ night together. But, I'd rather not share that lifestyle."

Mako nodded and gave her a loving smile, even though he barely turned his head. "I know that if I were in his position, I would do the _exact_ same_ thing_ for _you_."

Despite arriving later in the evening than most guests, Korra and Mako were still given complimentary robes upon check-in. When they had found their room, Mako, with bags in hand, had requested that Korra wait in the doorway as he put their thing inside.

"Hey," She protested as she was swung off of her feet and found herself cradled bridal style against her husband's chest.

"You didn't think I was just going to let you _walk_ over the threshold, did you?" He teased, kicking the door closed and carrying her inside.

"I'm not sure what I was expecting," Korra answered honestly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You said yourself, I _am_ a gentleman." With her in his arms, he sat themselves down on the edge of _their_ bed. He kissed her cheek. Searching for a topic, he blurted, "We scheduled a couple's massage for tomorrow morning, right?"

She laughed at his slightly off topic question, "Yeah, we did."

"Okay, good." He looked away for a split second, trying to come up with another question. "Are you tired? I'm a bit tired after that drive. Do you want to go to sleep?"

Korra rolled her big, blue eyes and let out a mockingly exaggerated sigh. With good humor, she shoved him roughly back against the bed. On top of him, she pushed her lips against his and ran her fingers through his short black hair. "No."

His amber eyes widened, but he nonetheless responded most willingly. Mako could not really say that he was surprised, he had married quite a bold girl. Now that he thought about it, he probably would have been shocked if she had agreed to turn in for the night.

Though she could not tell entirely, as she was very wrapped up the current battle their lips were fighting, but she was fairly certain that it was Mako's suit and and undershirt that came of first, shortly followed by her hair coming down. She smirked slightly, deciding Asami would not mind. The rest, besides their undergarments, shortly followed. And, that was when her fingers ran over the overly smooth slit of skin of a scar.

The Avatar paused, and pulled away to look him in the eye. She moved her thumb over two of her fingers to create a small, candle-sized light of fire. Korra shone the warm light near his abdomen, not close enough to burn him, and then around over his right arm. She frowned. His abdomen truly did not look bad on the surface, but it was still a reminder of how close she had come to losing him. And his arm was patterned with his original skin color, and the redness of a former burn. Like a dragon, it seemed to circle up from the palm of his, wove tightly around his forearm, and extended nearly to his chest.

She kissed his right shoulder, extinguishing her flame. "I'm sorry."

Mako took her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead before wrapping her in his arms. He held her tightly, twiddling her long chocolate hair in his fingers. For a brief moment he hoped that she would not laugh at him for sounding too soft and romantic. "It's just a reminder to enjoy all the time I have with you, and that's exactly what I plan to do. So, Korra, my love, the first and last woman I will have ever been with, will you enjoy tonight with me?"

* * *

**So? What'd ya think? I figured that even though Asami, who is seriously one of my most favorite characters ever, is super, tough she would be VERY particular about beautification. And their vows, totally ripped off of Hindu traditions and sort of tweaked them to sound like something they might actually say. And if you're not sure what they are, you should look up single breasted wedding tang suit (in images and the first couple Asian looking ones are what I sort of envisioned Mako wearing) and then look up blue wedding cheongsam (in images and that first floor-length one is similar to what I'd imagined Korra wore.) How did you like the tale of the literally star-crossed lovers Niulang and Zhinu? If you didn't pay attention to it, I would recommend rereading it. Anyways I hope you liked it! =) Your reviews have been much appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is chapter 7. Sorry it took so long to update. I hope you enjoy it though, and let me know what you think. There's a bit of fluff in this chapter. 3 Gotta love some Makorra! :D**

* * *

He had already stirred with the first rays of dawn, very stereotypically. But, she hadn't. Her light breath ruffled the hair above his forehead, and with every rise and fall of her diaphragm his forearm followed. Though mostly awake, the silence was peaceful and he buried his face against her jaw. He pressed his lips more firmly against her tan skin, relishing in this rare, tranquil intimacy. The young man simply could not describe his situation as anything but pure bliss.

A slight smile graced his face as he decided to allow her rest. As the Avatar, she was often called to provide assistance when she was not juggling mastering airbending, helping Asami with business, practicing probending, taking care of her own personal chores, and spending time with her loved ones. Not to mention that six weeks prior to their wedding, he had wound up in a predicament that had put stress on everyone. There was a part of him that simply wanted her to unwind, but he knew that with Korra, such a thing was impossible. And he was perfectly content with that.

She shifted somewhat in slumber, and he felt the smoothness of her bare abdomen glide across his fingertips. Unsure of whether or not she was simply moving out of restlessness or nightmares, he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. He inhaled deeply, willing for his calm presence to make its way into her subconscious.

A part of him was still guilty about unintentionally hurting her. She had hissed angrily at him about the sting, and he nearly came back with a biting retort about how he didn't know anymore than she did. Instead he had fought his pride and apologized, insisting that he had no idea. The Avatar had quickly gotten over it though, and he had been more than glad that she did because the majority of his focus had wanted to be on the matter at hand. By the time they had fallen asleep, he knew that all had been forgiven.

The firebender pulled his face back and rested his head beside hers. He smirked when he saw a flicker of blue. "I saw you peeking, you faker!"

Without eliciting a response from the girl that held as still as physically possible, Mako resorted to a different form of grasping her attention. With a wicked grin, and moving at lightning speed, he pounced on her. His fingers roughly prodded the sensitive areas of her skin. Immediately, her eyes flew open and she wriggled beneath him. Between bouts of involuntary laughter, she struggled beneath his grasp. "You...jerk!...Ge' orf of me!"

"Not a chance!" He disagreed. Her hands shifted between grabbing his wrists and blocking his reach. She pegged him with a death glare that only made his game all the more amusing. "Who knew the _Avatar_ was so ticklish?"

"Mako!" Her voice was irritated despite the fit of giggles that had overcome her. Summoning her strength, she pushed up on his chest, pulled down on his arms, and imitated his own actions. She was obviously surprised at just how the by the slightest probe, he squirmed with laughter. "Look who's talking, Mister Cool Under Fire!"

"I give! I give!" He pleaded, his amber eyes beginning to water.

"Promise you will never use tickling to greet me in the morning, ever again!" There was a smirk on her face as she continued to tickle him.

Although he knew that it was going to be easily broken he consented and said, "I promise!"

"And, that you will _never _tell _anyone_ that I'm ticklish," She hissed, her face inches from his. There was both humor and ferocity in her eyes, and it was hard to tell whether if she was serious or kidding. "Understand, City Boy?"

"I won't tell!" Mako let out on last laugh and sighed when she released him. Huffing grumpily, she laid back down, rolled onto her side facing away from him, and tucked the sheet up under her chin. His arm snaked around her waist on the outside of the cover and he pulled himself closer to her. Kindly, he placed a kiss on her jaw. "I knew you were awake."

She turned over somewhat to frown at him with her piercing blue eyes, and he took the opportunity to steal a kiss from her. "Good morning."

"Good morning," She responded, both to him and his kiss. "You're still a jerk."

"And an idiot," He chorused, rolling his eyes.

The next several moments were spent simply enjoying each others presence, whispering soft words, and sharing stolen kisses. Insisting that they had a prepaid- though a rare thing for Mako to do as he was always so frugal- spa appointment to attend to, he convinced her to open her eyes and prepare for the day ahead. Korra had told him to turn around and cover his eyes as she reached for a silk robe that had landed next to her bedside. When she was decent, he sat up in bed and observed her strong, feminine figure beneath the sheer blue fabric as she sauntered- shakily and with a tad of trouble- towards her bag by the corner of the room.

Trying to hide her severe blush when she caught him staring, she asked, "What?"

Closing his mouth, he shook his head clear. "Nothing."

During their massages, Mako chuckled as he watched Korra drowsily refuse to fall asleep. Their muscles were unwound completely, and he pondered over whether or not Korra had ever spent leisure time to de-stress during her bending training. Completely relaxed, they decided to head over to the natural hot springs on the banks of the river. Unprepared as he stripped down, he suddenly felt a wave of ice cold river water plow into the entire back of his body. Turning, he saw his short, dark-skinned wife cross-armed and smirking, and for a split second he wished that he was any other type of bender so that she could get a taste of her own medicine. Instead, he did not retaliate immediately as she had hoped he would. He simply slid into the nearest hot spring.

Mako gave the girl on the shore a smug look before she jumped in beside him, her tongue sticking out. Soon enough though, their childish animosity was soon only a memory as things literally began to heat up. Surrounded by rocks, shrubbery, and trees, and away from any other being, their hormones spiked. Only after briefly pulling away from their passionate embrace to promise that he would not let her be harmed this time, they made love a second time.

Giddy and lovesick, a few hours after noon, they realized that they had not eaten once, climbed out of hot spring with pruned skin, and made their way back to their shoreline cottage hand in hand. Impatient to wait even twenty minutes after eating, Korra insited that they go cliff diving on the other, calmer, side of the jetty, away from the waterfall of course. Brave, as she always was, the Avatar jumped feet first without a second thought. Thirty feet below him, Mako watched as her brunette head bobbed above the saltwater surface. She waved and turned to float on her back shouting for him to join her in the calm seawater. He frowned, folded his arms, and gazed down at the water suspiciously as if it was contagious.

"Oh, come on, Mako, don't be a wu-" Korra's tease was cut sort by a sudden dousing from the boy that was now in front of her.

The day seemed to pas by far too quickly, and yet it seemed that they had woken up a lifetime ago. The memories that they had created that day seemed to stretch far back. After an evening spent wandering around parts of the village outside of the resort, the newly weds finally called it a day and headed back to their room. On their windowsill, awaited a messenger hawk. After exchanging surprised looks, Mako grabbed the letter and read the calligraphy. "It's from Bo."

* * *

"_Dear Big Bro and New Sis,_

_Well, since the place you're staying at is stuck in the dark ages, I had to resort to a messenger hawk. I wasn't entirely sure how it was going to work, but Asami and I tested him this morning on the island to see if he could find us on one side or another. It was a success, so I'm assuming and hoping that he found you. This makes me feel old-fashioned._

_Anyways, even though I was technically with you guys the majority of yesterday evening, I didn't really get the chance to let you guys know what I actually wanted to tell you apart from my speech yesterday. Yeah, I know I thank you for raising me, Mako, and I thanked you for saving my neck, Korra, and I made fun you guys for kissing behind Asami's and my back, and for the time where we all had a really awkward moment in Ba Sing Se with the Earth King, and the time Korra, Asami, and I put make-up on Mako when he was asleep and how his nails were still painted when we showed up to help rebuild the Pro Bending Arena, but I was short on timeage. Seriously, you guys had a lot of people that wanted to say something._

_Mako-Dude, you are seriously the best big brother ever. And, honestly, I mean that. You raised me, fed me, clothed me, and even though it could it bugged me, you made sure I never wound up in _too_ much trouble. I owe my life, man. All those times when you went to go get something for us to eat and I was scared as a kid and felt that I was fore sure gonna be done for- you remember how my imagination was and still is- I prayed to Agni that Mom and Dad would come and get me. But, whenever I tried to think of them, I could only really see you. When I try to remember them, you always pop up first, Mako. We've been through everything together, you and me, we faced the world together. After Mom and Dad, and I know I'm an earthbender, you were my rock. You gave me a childhood, and made sure I never saw any of the bad stuff of the adult world. You gave me the childhood that you should have had, and so much more. You let me hang out with street kids, made sure that I didn't get caught up in their mess, took care of me when I was sick, and even let me keep Pabu after I showed him to you and started crying after you said that we would roast him for dinner if I brought him home. I know he's grown on you, though. I guess what I'm really saying is thanks. Thanks for bringing such a one of a kind girl into what used to be a two-man team._

_Korra-Now, just because I said all of that sappy stuff to my brother doesn't mean I wasted it all, I still have a tad of that stuff for you. I really am happy that I pretended to know you that first time you came into the gym without Toza's permission, because now, I don't know what Mako, me, or Asami would do without you. You're like my best friend. Pulling pranks with you is the greatest, and always the most successful. For example, the time we set off a stink bomb to welcome the new Northern Water Tribe Councilwoman. I've never so many people gag at once. You're an awesome teammate in the ring, and I'm glad we have each other's backs out there and during a fight. Not to mention, you're also one of the few people that I can actually have a serious talk with without _having_ to make a joke, even though we usually do because we're hilarious. But, I am grateful for any and all advice we've shared. It's weird to admit now that I ever once had a crush on you- _eww_- I mean, you almost instantly became my sister. So, you didn't _have_ to marry my brother to officially become part of _my _family- totally kidding, Bro, because I know you are reading this. Anyways, you are one of a kind._

_Well, I hope you two are having fun. Asami- she's telling me to tell you that she says hi, she loves you, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I'm not going to put down because it'll just take too long to write- and I are babysitting the airbending kiddos right now. Apparently, early this morning Tenzin got called in for an emergency council sesh, and when he came back he said that it was 'very urgent' that he go to the Fire Nation Capital as Republic City's representative. Pema offered to go with him, so that's how we wound up watching the three little windblowers and a toddler. I don't know too much about why they up and left other than that, but it seemed pretty serious. Hopefully, you guys won't have to come back just yet because of whatever is going on and initiate some Team Avatar action, but I would be ready to just in case. Don't worry about it, though. You two lovebirds have fun._

_Love you guys,_

_Bolin and Asami...Sorta _

_P.S. Mako, I may have accidentally opened your mail at the apartment this morning. You still have your mail addressed to our apartment, you need to switch that over to yours and Korra's new flat so this stops happening. Looks like you're permanently off the Fire Ferrets, but congratulations, recruit, you are now officially the newest rookie member of the Republic City Police Force. You start training Wednesday._

_P.P.S. I hope you two realize that if you make me an uncle on this trip of yours, you will forever be made fun of for it._

* * *

"Ami," A toddler tugged on her pant leg as she walked into the family room. The black haired beauty smiled at the little boy with the one tuft of growing raven hair. His green eyes were innocent as he opened his arms wide. "Ro wants up."

"Where are Ikki, Bolin, and Meelo?" Asami asked him as she scooped him into her arms, eyeing the semi-vacant room. Jinora sat at a table reading a book on what looked to be on native animals of the Earth Kingdom, and watching her youngest brother from the corner of her eye.

Rohan grabbed onto her shoulder as she placed him on her hip. He shrugged. "Meedo and Ikki told Bodin dat they were going to play a game."

"They want to know if Bolin could get through the spinning gates. He says that it'll help him out in the ring now that Mako won't be playing anymore. Now that it's just him, Korra, and that firebender that Mako always trash talks, he'll need all the practice he can get," Jinora elaborated, putting her book down. "I told them I would wait for you with Rohan".

"I'm interested in seeing that. Bolin is pretty light on his feet for an earthbender," She smirked at the idea of the buff and tough Bolin dancing his way through like one of the airbender kids, or Tenzin. The heiress followed the young girl outside towards the training area, tickling the little boy in her grasp. "Bodin isn't gonna get hit by the gates, is he?"

The little boy squealed with laughter and wriggled slightly in her grasp. "No, Ami! Stop! JinJin, make Ami stop!"

"Say the magic word," Asami insisted as Rohan continued laughing.

Jinora smiled at her green-eyed brother who pleaded for her help. "Do what Asami says, Ro."

"Please," Rohan giggled one last time as the young woman took her hand away an readjusted him on her hip.

"What good manners, Rohan," Asami complimented him. "You are quite the little gentleman."

"Thank you, Ami," The little boy beamed before kissing her cheek and hugging her around the neck tightly.

"Hands off my girlfriend, Rohan," Meelo's voice demanded of his only younger sibling. Asami and Jinora exchanged amused looks, stifling giggles. The little boy stood, grounded and abrasive between Ikki and an amused Bolin. His face was bright red with jealousy, and he glared daggers at his very confused little brother.

Ikki babbled animatedly to the blue-eyed airbender, "Asami isn't your girlfriend, Meelo. She isn't dating anyone. Are you, Asami? You're too young. She goes for the tall, strong, and handsome type."

"I am _too_ tall, strong, and handsome," Meelo countered, reeling on his sister.

"No, you're not. Mako and Bolin are tall, stro-," Ikki began, but was stopped when a laughing Bolin clamped a hand over her mouth.

"It's okay, Meelo," Asami reassured him with a smile. She had finally warmed up to his childish crush, and even found it endearing to an extent, and she especially did not want to hurt his feelings. "You are very strong and handsome."

Meelo almost looked pleased, but then made a confused face. "What about tall?"

"You'll get there," She replied almost immediately. Asami turned her gaze to meet her earthbending friend's wry grin. "What?"

"Nothing," He smugly responded before addressing the three airbenders around him. Bolin cracked his knuckles, and took a ready stance at the edge of the gates. "All right, let's get this show on the road."

Taking stances around the cirular training piece, the children blasted the air current into a stream of power that made the relics twirl at unimaginable speeds. With a determined face that she noticed he really only used for probending matches, or actual fights, Bolin charged. She could practically see his imagination run wild, knowing that he was picturing each of the gates as actually being the attack of an enemy. He made it through the first two gates rather successfully. Keeping on the balls of his feet to make sure that he was not entirely rooted, he swerved past another set of spinning gates. He made his way to the center, which was much more calm, almost like the eye of a storm.

"Remember, switch direction at a moments notice," Ikki advised.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Just like probending." Bolin's voiced answered from inside the contraption. Asami could see quick images of him trying to maintain his balance without stumbling. This exercise was obviously much more difficult for an earthbender than an airbender, seeing as that was technically what it was for. Even though he seemed to be a sitting turtle duck as he always wound up in a similar place, he was actually very in tuned with the flow of his movements. She could see his quick green eye catch sight of an opening, and he went for it. He leapt from side to side, stepping to and fro, never leaving one foot on the ground. Bolin came out panting, the gates finally slowed behind him, and put his hands on his knees. "See, I told you I could do it."

"If you weren't an earthbender, you might actually be an airbender," Asami congratulated him.

"Well," Jinora added. "Technically, air and earth are opposing elements, but it seems to me that Bolin's personality reflect traits of both. Good job, though, Bolin."

Asami and Rohan seemed to be the only two that took any interest or understanding in Jinora's observation. Confused, Meelo turned with a huge grin. "Bolin, Rohan, watch what I can do!"

The little boy jumped a few feet into the air, his back side facing the gates, and released a very large set of flatulence. The gates spun abruptly, and although everyone seemed a tad shocked at first, Rohan's combustion of laughter and applause sent them all into a large fit of giggles. Despite her laughter, there was still a part of Asami that was repulsed and she chuckled, "That's disgusting."

Soon afterwards, the group made their way back inside for dinner. Asami was grateful that Bolin had helped enforce the children to clean up, and that he had stayed to entertain Ikki, Rohan, and Meelo as she and Jinora cooked rice, miso soup, sea prunes, and tofu. After a meal spent struggling with Meelo to cooperate long enough to eat his sea prunes, Bolin took the liberty to make sure that the little ones were bathed and ready for bed as Asami cleaned the kitchen. About fifteen minutes later, she could hear Jinora and Ikki settling down in the family room are with the boys followed closely behind them. The teenagers had been given precise bedtimes for all of the kids: Rohan at 7:30, Ikki and Meelo at 8:30, and Jinora by 9:00. Asami knew that Meelo and Ikki may try to take advantage of their parent's absence, but she had put her foot down over the extra hour that Ikki had requested.

"Please, Asami!" Ikki pouted, clasping her hands together pleading. "Please let me stay up longer!"

Asami sighed, looking down at the little girl. It was nearly time for Rohan to be put to bed, but Ikki was already debating about her own. "No, I'm sorry, Ikki. I already said yes to an extra twenty minutes so you could finish listening to 'The Spirit' on the radio tonight. That was the deal, remember? You and Meelo would go to bed afterwards. If you can't agree to that, then you can just go to bed now."

The young airbender's gray eyes bore into Asami's green eyes, clearly trying to decipher whether or not she was serious. It was probably one of the few times that the child was actually quiet. She, her siblings, Korra, her friends, and every other person in Republic City with an imagination had become addicted to the evening radio show, and the children were usually allowed to stay up and listen every friday night if they had behaved themselves. And, Ikki did not want to miss it. Begrudgingly, she frowned, "Fine."

"Are you tired, buddy?" Bolin asked a sleepy looking Rohan.

The toddler yawned and rubbed his eye as he held onto Bolin's collar. "No."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to bed?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, what if Asami or I told you a bedtime story?" Bolin offered.

Rohan contemplated his options momentarily, but his tiredness quickly drove him to make a decision. "Ami."

Bolin handed the little boy over to the heiress and joined the other three children to play a round of pai sho. Asami carried the toddler down the hall to the nursery. Placing him in her lap, she sat down in the chair next to his crib. "What story do you want me to read to you?"

"I want you to tell me how Meedo, JinJin, Ikki, Daddy, and Korra can make air blow." Rohan answered, giving her a quizzical look. She smiled sadly at the little boy that had never once shown any prowess at bending. Although it was not uncommon for bending to appear anytime between the ages of one to four years, reportedly, all of Tenzin's other children had shown signs very early on.

"I don't know," Asami honestly responded to the boy that she was suspicious of being like her and his mother, nonbenders. "I can't bend, you know that, Ro."

"Yeah, I know dat, but do you think I can could do it?" His soft voice questioned and his big jade eyes were hopeful and thoughtful. "Or will I be like Mommy?"

Asami's face grew puzzled as she stood to put him in his crib. She leaned on the railing and he placed his hands on the railing between her elbows, kneeling on the mattress inside of his crib. At the same time that she wanted to reassure him, she also did not want the poor little boy to be crushed in case his expectations were never met. "Well, it's hard to say. I think you will be a great person bender or not, and I'll love you either way, Ro."

"I love you too, Ami." He answered, receiving a light kiss on the forehead.

"Now, what do you want me to read to you?" She asked as she rummaged through the bookcase on the opposite side of his room.

But, Rohan was not paying attention. She could hear him muttering about how it was done, and the rustle of his sleeves. Picking a book about a Water Tribe fairy tale that she figured he would fall asleep with but still find interesting, she turned around only to be met by a powerful gust of wind. Something fell behind her. Her green eyes grew wide when she saw little Rohan with his palm opened towards her. Asami blinked to clear her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Ami!" Rohan sincerely apologized, standing. "I didn't mean to!"

"Don't be sorry, Rohan!" She announced, snatching him up once again. "It was an accident, but you know what? That was amazing!"

"What happened?" Bolin's concerned voice led a combination of light and heavy footsteps into the nursery. His wide green eyes were worried when he and the three younger children appeared in the doorway. The earthbender's gaze darted between Asami and the toddler in pajamas that she held. Eventually, he smirked in amusement and let out a laugh. "Nice hair, Asami."

She glanced in the mirror over Rohan's dresser, and then scowled at Bolin. Her hair nearly stuck in its windblown way, completely off of her face and standing up. But, she didn't let that phase her as she smiled at the three children. "You have another bender in your family."

* * *

**And so there goes the seventh chapter! Let me know what you thought of the Makorra honeymoon snipit, whether it was too long, short, or met standards. So Bolin is now the Captain of the Fire Ferrets. And isn't little Rohan just a sweetheart? I picture him to be a total softie, and much calmer than his siblings. For whatever reason, I kind of felt that Asami would become attatched to him in a little brother/nephew sort of way, as would the rest of Team Avatar, but I chose to go with Asami's relationship with him. Hope you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally! Sorry it took so long guys! I've been busy. Like last week I went to visit my school and i was cleaning up a rental for the next renter. Anyways, here I try to incorporate some of season 2! Hope you guys love it!**

* * *

The blue glow of the spirit of thousands of lives past illuminated everything around them. Through her eyes, the windows of her soul, she could see and feel everything and every experience her past lives had gone through. Those live lent her knowledge, wisdom, different flavors to perspectives, and the different flows of learned movements. The Avatar State was deadly, compassionate, hateful, loving, intimidating, and even comforting depending on the situation. It was beyond powerful, and perhaps fairly helpful in taking advantage of a situation, specifically an air scooter race.

For the nineteen year old Avatar, it did not matter that she was a married woman nearing her twenties, that she had a responsibility to the entire world, that she was supposed to be setting an example for others to follow, or that she was up against children. All that mattered at the moment was the spirit of the competition, not the fact that she had previously been told several times not to abuse the power. Korra had a burning desire to win.

She would not have used it if Ikki had not pushed herself with such a powerful gust of wind that she had inched just slightly ahead of the Water Tribe girl. Yet, the nine year old, who was mere years from earning her own tattoos, had. So, just yards before the gate Korra, who though nearly a master herself was not as powerful an airbender as Ikki because the element was so opposite her personality, called upon her past lives to offer up their assistance in cheating three children out of a win. With that miraculous power, the Avatar propelled herself through the gate leading to the training center on Air Temple Island where Kya and Bumi, who were visiting their brother's family, awaited with a flag to signal the finish line.

Korra leapt off of the air ball and pumped her gloved fist into the air. "Woo-hoo! Who's the greatest airbender in the world? This girl, right here!"

"Nuh-uh! No way!" Ikki declare, indignantly stomping her foot on the ground, and getting as close to Korra's eye level as possible with a horrifying glare.

"Well, seeing as there's only six of us," Jinora drawled in a mixture of logical reasoning and sarcasm over the eldest girl's statement. She rolled her big, brown eyes and muttered, "but, I still think that Dad's the best."

"Sorry, Squirt," Bumi reassured his younger niece, ruffling her hair before ducking Korra's head beneath his arm and giving her a noogie. "But, I think my dear ole dad here is the winner."

"Yeah, Grandpa Aang is the winner!" Meelo shouted, jumping into the air.

"But, Uncle Bumi! She cheated!" Frusturated, the little girl wound up her fist attack the struggling, but laughing Avatar beneath her uncle's arm, only to be blown back a few feet by her peacefully natured sister.

"It would have been cheating, if you had set the rules about what was and wasn't fair." The Commander of the United Forces released his young captive from the headlock she was trying to push her way out of, only to stumble a few feet backwards. Shaking her head to clear the fogginess that came with being playfully strangled and with a challenging grin, Korra sent a small air blast at the back of his head, blowing all of his already crazy hair forwards.

Ikki's face had turned bright red in anger. "We did! We already set rules! Korra's known for over a year, almost two, that she isn't supposed to use the Avatar State in a race! She just doesn't like that I would have won! She has some ostrich beef with me because I'm a better airbender! Isn't that right, you double crossing chunk of lead?"

The bell bottom commander's face turned into a thoughtful expression that was hard for the young Avatar, who mimicked Ikki's expression of glaring and sticking her tongue out, to take seriously. "Well look who thinks they're the bee's knees! Come off it, Ikki. I won fair and square."

"Ahem." Surprised by the sudden interruption, the group turned to see none other that Avatar Aang's youngest son standing at the edge of the courtyard. By simply one glance, Korra could see the displeasure on her sifu's face. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his stern face certainly intimidated them all. Tenzin allowed his daunting presence to sink in momentarily before calling over his students and siblings. He addressed his oldest student first, his piercing blue eyes boring into hers. "Where do I even begin? Korra, I don't know how many times I've told you not to abuse the Avatar State! You've even had spiritual guidance from your uncle! You should know better. It's something to be respected and honored, not taken advantage of for trivial things like this race. I would expect you to be more mature and responsible at your age, especially since you're now married, but you are just as reckless as ever! I may just put off your airbending test because of this. What happens if there's an accident while you're in the Avatar State because you're so focused on something like a race against children? The Avatar ceases to be reincarnated, and the world is left unbalanced forever. You already know all of this, so why am I having to repeat myself over and over again, Korra?"

Korra pursed her lips and glanced sideways. She _did_ actually know all of this. During her time spent with her uncle in the North Pole on her spiritual journey, she had discovered the story of Avatar Kuruk. Kuruk had been the last Avatar from the Water Tribes, and like Korra, had a bit of a go with the flow attitude. It had been Koh, the face stealer, that had taught the young Avatar a lesson about his impulsive by taking away the woman he loved.

Typically, such a story would not have affected the girl so greatly, but as Kuruk was such a recent past life, she could feel the burning agony of his pain as though it were her very own. And the experience had frightened her. She had already been taught a lesson by that terrifying, spiny spirit from the north, and she did not desire another, especially not from a face stearler. The mere idea of losing a lloved one in such a horrific way made her physically flinch.

She bowed her head, which was shortly followed by a traditional, respectful bow. "I apologize, Master Tenzin. I should know better. And, I'm sorry that I cheated, Ikki."

Luckily for her, Ikki was usually forgiving. Accepting her surrogate sister's apology, the little girl exclaimed, "Fine! We can just have a rematch! But, this time, no cheating!"

"You're on!" Korra agreed, jumping on the opportunity. As the two bolted back towards their starting point, Meelo hot on their heels, Tenzin rolled his eyes.

"Looks like I have another race to judge," Bumi announced excitedly, his potbelly jiggling as he jogged back to the gate.

"Jinora, what about you?" Kya asked her niece who had turned rather pale.

Jinora looked up at her aunt with sunken brown eyes. The pretten shook her head from side to side. "No, I don't feel that great. I think I'll go see where Mom and Rohan are, and then maybe read if I feel like it."

"'If I feel like it?' She must not feel good at all. Feel better, sweetie!" Kya called as the twelve year old and Tenzin made their way back towards the family residence on the island. She then turned to follow her elder younger brother. "Do you think Korra will still win?"

"Absolutely," Bumi grinned as the three racers began their way around the designated course, battling to get ahead of one another, "Not."

* * *

"Were these the ones you wanted, Mommy?" Pema smiled down at her youngest child. Rohan held up in his tiny hands, a bowl full of ripe green pears. He smiled up at her, his green eyes showing nothing but kindness.

"Yes, thank you," She told him. Taking the bowl nd planting a kiss on his forehead. Overall, Rohan had proved to be her most helpful child, and certainly the one with the most docile temprament. The toddler was calm, sweet-natured, and practically attached to her hip. And, the discovery of his airbending talents had not changed that. If anything, it had made him cautiouc. He had become focused in the new lessons with his father, and disciplined in the use of his abilities, careful not to have another Asami incident.

"You're welcome. What do you need help with, Momma?" Rohan asked as he gently levitated the platter his mother had been reaching for into her hands. It was risky, as he was inexperienced, but in the last six weeks he had managed to harness some of his power, and he had confidence in his actions.

"If you could get your daddy to stop reading the paper and have him bring your sister her tea, I would appreciate it."

The toddler respoded with an okay and set off into the next room. Pema turned her attention back to chopping the pears that she was going to use for their lunchtime salad. Even though her oldest daughter was pent up sick with the stomach flu, there were still eight other mouths to feed, including her own. Yet, unbeknownst to her, that number would rapidly dwindle.

The door in the kitchen leading to the courtyard flew open behind her to reveal five figures. Meelo, wide-eyed, suddenly turned green at the sight of the ingredients his mother was working with. "Are those sea prunes?"

He immediately departed the doorway, followed closely by Ikki, to empty the contents of their stomachs. The adults near them cringed, and instantly sent them to bed. Only Korra and Bumi with their undefeatable appetites, and Tenzin and Rohan who had not witnessed any of the children become sick, were still in search of a meal. Kya and Pema had instead decided to to tend to the sick kids.

"So, Ikki won," Bumi informed his younger brother, smirking at Korra, who was currently stuffing her face with noodles.

Muffled by food, she retorted, "We tied."

"If tying is one person coming in _behind_ another, then sure, you tied," The Commander responded, earning a dark look, and then turning back to Tenzin, "There was no _cheating_ this time, either."

Korra snorted, causing Rohan to giggle. "Daddy, wil you and Korra teach me how to make an air scooter?"

"Maybe," Korra answered, recieving a dejected look from the little boy. "If you finish your sea prunes."

Rohan, though initially resistent to the suggestion at the beginning of the mea, now changed his mind and ate them with a determination for the offer. Tenzin mouthed a thank you across the tble. If there were two things that Rohan was difficult about, it was waking up in the middle of the night from bad dreams, and struggling against eating his vegetables.

"No problem," The Avatar said with a grin. She took another bite of her lunch. "I'm so glad that you're half Water Tribe, Tenzin. Pema does a really good job making the food taste like the South Pole's, even if it is a blend of Air Nomad. Mako doesn't like sea prunes, so we hardly ever eat them unless bolin is over, or we're here."

"How are you kids handling married life?" Bumi interjected before Tenzin could reply. "Still having _fun_?"

Tenzin shot his brother a menacing glare at the double meaning in his words, still very protective of the girl that had beccome like a daughter to him. "Yes, Korra, I'm very pleased to see how happy you two are. How-"

"Thinkin' bout kiddos yet?" Bumi interrupted his brother mid-sentence. "If not, it's never too late to practice making them, _right_?"

Korra had only seen her teacher turn so red once before, when he had been livid. And, now he was furious. She choked on the half-eaten bite in her mouth, coughing in an attempt to bring it back up. The Avatar was fairly certain that Tenzin would have strangled his brother if he was not required to whack her on the back. Worried, and rather confused, Rohan pushed his water glass towards the girl he had come to think of as his oldest sister, and she smiled reassuringly, accepting the gesture.

Tenzin cleared his throat, his face slowly turning from violet to crimson to peach. "How-how have you been doing in your new flat?"

"It's great!" She answered enthusiastically, avoiding Bumi's gaze at all cost. "We still have a few boxes left to unpack and we just finished painting the other day. We've just been super busy between him finishing up his police training and squeezing in a few hours at the power plant for some extra spending money, and my airbending training and commitment to probending, plus that little issue with the Rough Rhino Triad over in the Fire Nation. There's been a few days where we only have time for each other in the morning and at night, but most days we still make time for just the two of us. "That's all gonna fizzle out though soon. He graduates at the end of the week, which means no more power plant. And, hopefully my airbending test is soon?"

* * *

As soon as he had shut his locker, he wrapped his scarf snugly around his neck. He buried the lower half of his face into the red fabric and inhaled deeply. His father's cologne had created a permanent aroma in the garment's stitches years ago, and it still clung to it. The presence of his father in the scarf created a sense of comfort. All around him, his father was congratulating him on a job well done.

Upon walking out the door, he received several pats on the shoulder and praise from fellow recruits for an outstanding performance during training that day. But, only one person actually stopped him in his tracks. "Great job today, kid. You're going to make a great officer come friday."

"Thanks, Chief," Mako grinned proudly at the reinstated Chief Lin Beifong. Only he, the rest of Team Avatar, and Tenzin knew that Lin had taken any interest in his success in the Force. In fact, she had done a spectacular job at making it seem as though she felt exactly the opposite. Due to the way Lin treated Mako, every other recruit had nightmares about her, while they repected Mako for taking the majority of the heat. She critiqued him on everything, snapped over the tiniest mistake, screamed at him over anything he said wrong, and consistently commented on what a sorry excuse for a bender he was. But, extra negative attention from a Beifong only meant that they cared.

"If," She continued, narrowing her eyes and jabbing a finger into his chest, "You even make it there. Try not to screw up under my orders again."

Mako bit his lip to avoid returning the smirk the middle-aged lady briefly flashed him, slightly concerned about her reaction if he did smile. During his ride along today on a motorcycle, Lin had purposely stationed him on patrol in Dragon Flats borough, where the Agni Kai and Red Monsoons Triads had recently been battling for turf, along with causing a high crime rate. He had been instructed by a sergeant to stay put at the edge of an alleyway, and to call his partner if there was anything to pursue but a traffic violation, which he was told to handle himself.

Around the middle of the afternoon, Mako had pulled over a brand new Satomobile, whose owner had decided to show off to the poorer area of the city just how fast his car could go. As he completed writing up the citation, he had heard a commotion just across the street, and the next thing he knew he was chasing a van full of Red Monsoons that had just extorted and robbed a small business owner that was apparently in a high vendetta location for the Agni Kai's. he knew that he was disobeying an order to call in an experienced officer, but there was little time for that if the gangsters were going to be taken into custody. The two waterbenders did everything in their power to slow the recruit down, even icing the road so his tires would slip, but Mako's firebending was more powerful than both of theirs combined. He had melted the frozen liquid with the flame that helped propel his bike. When the van had come to a sharp turn, he had leapt into the air and delivered a powerful, explosive fire blast that sent the van tumbling. Dizzy from their collision with the pavement, Mako easily apprehended the three criminals inside the van with the assistance of his newly arrived ride along partner. It had been one of the most fabulous displays aptitude for any recruit, even if he had disregarded an order to stay put.

"Yes, ma'am," He assured her, nodding.

"Alright, well, get out of here. Ms. Sato told me that you and your wife have a date, and you better not be late!" She motioned for him to head out the doorway before calling, "I expect to see you in here bright and early day after tomorrow!"

The air outside was nice, but with the Autumn equinox rapidly approaching the breeze blowing in from the bay made the shades of building in the late afternoon sun rather chilly. He sighed with relief that he had not been held up so long that he would have missed the trolley. Lost in thoughts as the railcar clanked down the track towards the probending arena, he smiled. Everything was going just perfectly, and he sent a prayer of thanks to the spirits. He had a wonderful career ahead of him, regardless of his encounter with his parents' murderer a few months ago he was going to use his authority as a law officer to bring him to justice, he had wonderful friends, a flat that he shared with the most wonderful woman on the planet, and he was beginning the greatest marriage the world would ever known with the woman that loved him almost as much he loved he loved her, his other half, his soulmate if there really was such a thing. A soulmate was always something that he doubted, but Korra had proven to him that they existed.

The hallways inside of the arena were fairly silent apart from his own footsteps echoing down the hallway. He followed the familiar pathway towards the gym where the Fire Ferrets would be finishing that day's practice. He pushed open the double doors expecting to see Asami, his wife and brother, and unfortunately Tamal. Yet, he was curious when he found only Bolin and the other firebender doing solo exercises. Ignoring the young man shooting flames at picture of the Rabaroos, he acknowledged his brother, who was tossing discs into a net. "Hey, Bolin!"

"Hey, Mako!" The earthbender dropped his fists and grinned at his older brother. "You coming back to join the team? I'll give you captain back."

Mako chortled at his brother's attempted bribery, and they both threw Tamal distasteful leers. "Nah, sorry, Bro. I'm too busy. Where are Korra and Asami?"

"Well, they should be down the hall. In the restroom. Korra ran down there to barf, and Asami went to go help her out. Although, I'm not sure how exactly. I mean, it just sort of comes up and out. There's not much someone else can do for you at that point."

The firebender's eyebrows raised in concern. "Is she okay? I'm gonna go check on her."

"Yeah, the airbender kids had the flu. She probably got it from them," Bolin called after him and then muttered after the door had swung shut. "But, I don't think she said any of them nearly passed out."

Mako did not run, but he certainly used a brisk walk to make his way towards the women's restroom. From down the hall he could hear muffled voices.

"...weeks...not impossible," Asami urged. "...fifth...this week...I've seen this."

He recognized Korra's groan.

"When...was your last...?"

"...eight..." Korra's muffled voice became high pitched, something that only happened when she was nervous or lying. "Asami...can't...not now."

As he approached, he could hear more of their conversation, instead of mere fragments. Asami's voice had turned very soft and comforting. He smiled. They were so lucky to have a friend with such a kind heart, someone that would look after their sick best friend. "Well, you have me. I promise."

"Thanks. I...I think you're right."

Positive that they were no longer carrying on their conversation, he wrapped on the door and called to them. The door flew open to reveal a surprised, but healthy looking pair of young women. Korra's face had color returning to her cheeks, and she was not gray as Mako had expected her to be. His wife was not in her training gear, but back in her street clothes which were obviously more comfortable. She sputtered, "Mako! How long have you been standing there? Er-I mean- When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes. Bo said you were sick. How are you feeling?"

"Better. It's all out of my system." Typical Korra. For her something awful like nausea was something that actually made her feel better to get rid of instead of making her want to go lay down for hours at a time.

Mako missed the skeptical look Asami tossed his wife as he took her arm. "Are you sure? We don't have to go off tonight if you're sick."

"Are you kidding?" She threw a sidelong glance at the woman beside for support in her theory that her husband was crazy. "It's Team Avatar night, there's no way I'm missing this!"

* * *

Lanterns were strung from wires from treetop to treetop, children ran from one attraction to the next with sparklers in their hands while others begged their parents for sweets like fire gummies, gandalas rowed in the pond on the pond at the edge of the festival, beautiful and exciting music played from a bandstand and people danced around them, booths were full of game operators and performers alike, and the line for the ferris wheel stretched longer than Main Street itself. It was probably the most crowded any of them had ever seen Republic City Park, and in some areas it was nearly impossible for one to weave their way through a crowd. Regardless of how over packed the place was, there was still a gleeful air of celebration that they were all more than content to absorb.

Eager to participate in the festivities, Bolin decided to enter a dumpling eating contest. Of course, he won by a landslide. His winnings nearly made him sick due to the fact that including a month of free dumplings at Wong's Deli, he also was awarded an entire sack full. Unable and unwilling to even think about them, Pabu and Naga quickly devoured them.

As they walked through potential games to try out, one in particular caught Korra's eye. Several gigantic men stood in line, one after the other swinging a mallet in an attempt to make a weight clank the bell at the top of a scale. Most only got to the halfway marker, none reaching the top. The carny running the game caught the Water Tribe girl's fascinated eye. "Step right up! Test your strength with the high striker! How about you pretty ladies? Just two copper pieces per try!"

Korra's knew that pleading blue eyes would not work on Mako, so she took the initiative and enthusiastically dug through her pockets for a form of payment. There were a few chuckles from the bulky men as they watched the short and stocky girl prepare herself. Their faces immediately fell however when she not only made the bell ring, but fly off the top. The carny's jaw dropped as he handed her a gigantic, plush platypus bear, that she forced Mako to carry. He did somewhat reluctantly, embarrassed to hold something so _cute_, so he attached it to Naga's saddle.

Naturally attracted to anything fast, dangerous, and powerful, Asami's green eyes sparked with delight when she saw the cross bow challenge. She didn't have to think twice about putting down two copper pieces to participate. Looking straight down the arrow to the center of the target, Asami focused and pulled the trigger. The arrow collided perfectly in the middle, as did the next two, with a satisfying thud. Asami grinned and gazed at the weapon fondly, receiving enthusiastic high fives from her friends. Like Korra, she too wound up up with a stuffed animal, which wound up in Naga's saddle as well. "If we keep winning games like this, poor Naga's going to be too weighted down to even think about walking home."

None of the games had drawn Mako's attention to intently, until he came face to face with a recognizable figure being thrown off a bench above a large tub of water. "Shin?"

Shady Shin shrugged shamelessly at his two comrades that had caught volunteering for a community event, despite the fact that Two Toed Ping and another Triple Threat stood to the side laughing hysterically as Shin climbed out of the water. He waved and laughed at the next player that tried hopelessly to throw a ball and knock him into the pool below. "Hey! My niece's class is sponsoring this dunk tank! How about you give her some support, Hot Shot."

"If it means you go swimming, then sure," Mako agreed picking up the first ball on the counter.

"Are you going to pay for that, young man?" A stern looking woman chastised him.

He mumbled a quick apology as he handed her the coins. The firebender picked up the first ball to find it surprisingly heavy, aimed with an intense amount of concentration, and threw. Not only did he completely miss, the ball wound up flying into the middle of a custard tart eating contest. Shin, the other Triple Threats, and his friends laughed boisterously at his sorry throw. He growled frustratedly as he picked up the second ball. Just as he extended his fingertips, Bolin snorted loudly once again with laughter. This time the ball was not as far off as the first, but there was still no collision with his intended target.

"Okay, Mako, just to make you feel better, if you miss this one I'll buy you some flowers. After all, that's what ladies like, right?" Shin taunted from behind the protective glass, and everyone except Mako snickered.

Mako huffed, causing steam to escape his ears and nostrils. He would _not_ miss this time. His fingers gripping the heavy ball ignited, and he chucked it, the game peice still flaming. The perfectly curved fireball made full contact and sent Shin into the pool of ice cold water. When he resurfaced, Mako smirked, "Just so we're clear, I like fire lilies."

Some of the booths run by performers like magicians and clowns, Mako either found to be creepy or scams. Most however, he thoroughly enjoyed, such as the performance by sword jugglers and the animal trainers' demonstrations. But, when Asami suggested that they should all head into a fortune teller's tent 'just for laughs,' he was a bit put off. He knew that Bolin was ecstatic, Korra presented herself as if she were not taking the reading seriously at all but on the inside she was desperate to hear her own fortune, and Asami, while doubtful of any predictions, had hope for something positive.

The inside of the tent muffled the noise of the music and crowds outside. It was warm, and dimly lit with jasmine scented candles. On the floor before them were a few empty cushion seats, and due to the lack of space Naga and Pabu were left just outside. A curtain hung only a couple yards from the entrance to create a barrier between the reading area and other potential customers. The flap in the curtain opened to reveal a young earth kingdom girl around the age of fourteen, carrying a tray containing four glasses of warm tea. She smiled at them. "Hello, I'm Wu. I am Auntie Meng's assistant, and if you need anything at all, feel free to let me know."

They all thanked her for the tea, but as soon as the flap closed again, Mako muttered under his breath, "This...is ridiculous."

"Ah, come on, Mako! Don't be such a sour sport! Have a little fun!" Bolin cheered enthusiastically. Mako was about to come back with a sharp reply when they were all startled by the curtain reopening.

"Hello all, my name is Auntie Meng." An little old lady in pink with two disasterous, silver pig tails that stuck far out from her head, introduced herself. She smiled at the group. "Now, who wants to go first?"

Mako rolled his big amber eyes and stood, cracking his knuckles and joints. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"You don't want to be here? Do you, young man?" Auntie Meng asked the brooding firebender.

His eyebrows raised in surprise, and introduced himself with a bow, displaying manners, "Mako. That's my name. Sorry, Auntie Meng, I meant no disrespect. I just don't believe in all of this fortune telling boloney."

"I can tell," Auntie Meng gave him an ancient devious smile, and curiously winked at his wife behind him. "Very well, come along dear."

The old lady motioned for him to sit on a pillow on the ground next to an unlit fir pit. There was a hole in the tapestry for smoke to part, a dresser full of different herbs and objects unknown to him. On a small tea table there was a pile of unorganized cards and a crystal ball. The sight nearly made him roll his amber eyes. Auntie Meng was shuffling through drawers behind him but suddenly snapped her fingers in delight. "I've got it. You're a firebender, correct?"

"Uh-," Mako was a bit surprised that she was aware of his ability as he had never met the woman before. "Yes."

"Good. Good." She clapped her hands together and kneeled in front of him on another pillow. "Typically, if I have a non-firebender when I use this form of fortune telling, I have them light a fire with those two stones in the pit. But, since you _are _gifted with fire, I going to have you hold your own in your palm. Now, what I want you to do for me, dear, is sit up straight, close your eyes, clear your thoughts and fall into a meditation, and while you do that, I want you to grasp the bottom of your right and with your left and create a flame. Now, this will only take a few minutes for me to read it, so will you do that for me?"

Uncertain, but willing to try it, Mako crossed his legs, squared his shoulders, and closed his eyes. He slowed his breath, and with a deep exhale, he ignited a fire in his hand. The warmth sent tingles through his finger tips as it always did. Beneath his eyelids the glow was sharp and bright. It crackled and popped when he made it a little too large, but calmed to a steady wave.

"Fascinating," He heard Auntie Meng murmur. "You have had a troubled past. An orphan, I see. I'm very sorry for your loss, but your parents are very proud of the man you've become and how you took care of your brother. You will no longer need to worry constantly about where to find your next meal. I see you becoming very powerful, with a position of authority, respected by millions. I see you with your wife in these flames. The crackles in the flame that come with thoughts of her signal a passion that will never die, of course, some of those passionate encounters are bound to be arguments as you have a very stubborn character. I see it as a very splendid romance. Oh, how sweet. I see the shadow of a child in your arms, your wife beside you. This child will bring you joy and be the most important thing in the world to you. You have nothing to worry about being a wonderful father. Your children will love you unconditionally. You have a burning desire to protect them as well as your wife. That's quite a nasty shade of red. You have an undying hatred and a jealousy that will bring you to pivotal points in your life. One is very near, and you must remain level-headed if you ever want to repair what will be lost. You will blame another, someone that committed two past crimes against you, and you must be have mercy in your heart when facing them, not justice. I see honesty and dignity in your character, you will obey the law...even at a sacrifice. A choice will come that will tear you apart, but eventually you will do what is right. Your life will not go without heartache, but it will be long, loving, and joyful. "

Auntie Mang sighed, almost sadly. "A tragedy is rapidly approaching. Before the sunsets three days from now, you will lose someone that you never knew you were capable of losing because it is hidden from you. When the time comes, allow yourself solace until your counterpart is prepared to face you. You must be strong for them. It will be a hard time, but i promise you'll make it through."

Mako huffed in annoyance. What did this old hag know about his life? He stood abruptly and excused himself. He opened the flap leading back to the sitting room only to see his three friends on all fours with their ears pressed against the curtain, whispering to each other to remain silent so they could listen in. When they noticed him staring at them, they smiled sheepishly. It would have made him laugh if he had not been so frustrated. He blustered past them and they exchanged shrugs. "I'm gonna go get some sizzle-crisps for me, Naga, and Pabu."

"Oh! Get me some fire flakes!" Bolin called after him.

* * *

They were laughing as they walked towards Naga, the firbender leaning against her who was pulling out grass from the lawn, and Pabu. Like other groups at the fair they had selected a rallying point if any of them were to get lost, and theirs was just across from the bandstand.

"Oh, sure, Mr.-I-Will-Have-The-Biggest-Embarrassing-Incident-The-City-Has-Ever-Seen!" Korra teased.

Bolin's face turned red, "She said that it would be an accident! But, I _will_ make up for it. What about you Miss-My-Husband-Will-Fall-Flat-On-His-Face-In-Front-Of-Hundreds-Of-People-Right-Before-He-Asks-Me-To-Marry-Him?"

Asami laughed and threw up her hands, "Hey, I didn't say anything _too_ critical about your fortune!"

"I'm just glad that she told my I won't ever forget my pants when I'm on Avatar duties," Korra sighed, putting her hand against her forehead.

"You guys actually believe all of that stuff?" Mako asked, peering critically at them. He had calmed dow, but the mention of the fortune teller still irritated him."

All three of them shrugged. Bolin spoke for them. "She's seems pretty legit. Like, Aunt Wu, her mentor, predicted lots of accurate stuff for her village when she was a kid. Nothing was ever wrong, and she predicted that Auntie Meng would marry a big eared guy. She showed me a picture of them together. Sure enough, they're _huge_! Huge! Like really, _really _huge."

"She was really sweet," Asami commented. "She gave a lot of really insightful predictions. She even helped me with a business decision I wasn't sure I should make."

"Yeah," Korra agreed. "She was great. Although, the last thing that she said sort of bugged me."

Mako's eyes watched his young wife's body language shift. She gazed towards the dancers as if she were distracted by the music. But the way her arms folded across her chest, and her lips pursed in thought, he could tell that something was troubling her. Suddenly, he felt held a bit of resentment towards the kind old lady. Quickly he shook off their argument. "All right, sure! Where to next?"

"Food?" Bolin requested. The mention of food caused Korra to draw her attention back to the brothers. Mako rolled his amber eyes and handed him the bag of fire flakes he had requested, and the eighteen year old devoured them enthusiastically. All of their ears perked when the hottest song in Republic City began to play. They heard the cheers from the crowd as a large group of people rushed to the dance floor. With a mouthful of food, Bolin shouted, "_Hittin' On All Sixes_? This is my favorite song! Let's go dance!"

Their fortunes all but forgotten, the friends joined the hundreds surrounding the bandstand. With a flirty smirk, Bolin was quickly able to snatch a pretty, giggling girl out of a group of wallflowers. More than impressed, her friends cheered her on.

"Dance with me, City Boy," Korra instructed, snatching his hand once she knew Asami would be approached.

Sure enough, a gloved hand with a sleeved arm tapped her shoulder. A familiar voice questioned, "Excuse me, Miss Sato, but may I have this dance?"

Asami turned and her eyes sparked with delight at the sight of a handsome, casually clothed General. "Iroh."

His eyebrows raised expectantly and she blushed, obviously forgetting herself. She placed her hand in his. "Of course."

Korra wolf-whistled at her friend and sister-figure, earning a dark look from menacing green eyes. She grinned at Mako as he twirled her. Abruptly, the music changed to a much slower tune, and the dancers followed suit. The Avatar placed her face against her husband's chest and buried her cheek into his scarf, breathing deeply in an effort to dismiss the nausea that came with the swaying motion. A smile graced her lips as she listened to the reverberating rumble in his chest while he hummed along to _Lost My Heart In Republic City._

"You okay?" He mumbled.

She tilted her head back and kissed his cheek. "Absolutely."

He smiled, content enough with her answer for the time being, and she was more than happy that he did not pressure her into answering more questions. Instead, he intwined their fingers together with his left hand, pulled his right arm all the way around her waist so she was as close to him as physically possible, and pushed his forehead against hers. They closed their eyes, simply enjoying each other's company. There were no interruptions except for the thought that paraded around Korra's mind, _'Yeah, I'm okay...except...I'm pregnant.'_

* * *

**Oh, I really did have a ton of fun writing this chapter! What with Bumi's personality, I figure he'd be one to call Korra 'Dad' and tease her about everything, and I'm pathetic for laughing at my own writing when Meelo hurls for seeing sea prunes (which are icky), and Shady Shin in the dunk tank! And then the fortune teller, Meng! That was really fun. Except it was frustrating researching Chinese divination because hardly any site really gave an explanation on technique! And yep, you guessed it! She's preggers! Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm pretty sure that I'm going to start putting in a translator for the 1920's slang...oh look! Here's one now!**

**1920's Vernacular:**

**beat it- get lost**

**what's eating you- what's bothering you**

**Pipe down-shut up**

**palookas-mediocre boxers (which probending is based on)**

**shutterbug-photographer**

**Sorry if I'm a little loopy, it's late, I'm and exhausted insomniac, and everything is SOOOOO much funnier when you're tired! Am I right? Like the fact that I have an insanely dysfunctional family is freakin' hilarious at the moment! If you want to hear a funny story just ask in a review or something and I'll put one in my next A/N! **

**Anyways be prepared for an insane amount of fluff (which you guys have to let me know if it met your standards) and drama! Oh no! Dun-dun-dun! Who else wishes they were a jedi, or a bender? I know I do! I'm a freshman in college, and my high schooler brother and I still make believe we have bender fights! How pathetic are we? Not at all! Because it's insanely cool.**

* * *

"Get a grip, Bolin! Remember, if you tell _anyone_, especially Mako, we're going to have issues." Asami threatened the earthbender, nonchalantly adjusting the position of the electroshock equalist glove in her satchel. It was something that she had gotten into a habit of carrying. He gulped. She was satisfied by his reaction, but a tad guilty that she had let the news slip. The information truly had only reached his ears by mistake. Korra had asked Asami to request what cures Pema had for morning sickness, if she were to run into her, and to let her know about the Water Tribe girl's pregnancy so things didn't look bad for the heiress. The nonbender had run into the air acolyte that morning at the Farmer's Market in downtown, and had apparently spoken a little too loud, because Bolin, who had left his arena apartment to find breakfast at the street fair, had heard them two vendors down. Ever since he had heard that Korra was expecting, he had asked her any and every possible question about his future niece or nephew as he trailed behind her all over the marketplace. "I mean it, Bo. Do _not_ ruin this surprise for your brother. Korra really wants to be the one to tell him."

"Why hasn't she told him yet?"

Asami huffed in irritation, coincidentally stopping in front of a music box vendor. "She's waiting for something-I don't know-special."

"She could have told him Wednesday at the fair, or is she waiting until tonight, when he graduates from the Police Academy?"

"No, Saturday." She knew that being direct with him was the only way to go. If she let him believe that Mako would know sooner, Bolin would open his mouth. "After your bending match. It's the first qualifying round for the tournament. And, if you win, it'll give us all something to be even more happy about."

"What's eating you? You don't sound very happy," He remarked.

"I'm not." She hissed, glaring at him. Her fists balled up and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're frustrating me. You're eavesdropping is really starting to get on my nerves, along with giving me an earful. And, I _don't_ know anything about babies, apart from them crying, eating, sleeping, and pooping! Do I look like the baby expert to you?"

Her aggressive manner of speech certainly frightened him, and he took a step backwards. It was so out of character for sweet, strong Asami to be so violently grouchy. Then, it hit him. His eyes widened in realization, and he opened his arms as though he were going to give her a hug. "Oh, okay. I get it. Asami, is it that time of the month again?"

Her green eyes sparked and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment under the gaze of amused pedestrians that had overheard them. She swung at him, punching him square in the chest. "Oh, my Spirits! Pipe down, Bolin!"

And in a much lower voice she hissed, "That is _so_ not okay to announce."

"What?" He rubbed his sore chest and choked for his lost breath, baffled. "It's natural, right? Happens to every girl?"

"I said, pipe down! Beat it!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He threw his hands up in defeat, and stepped backwards, off the curb and nearly lost his balance.

"Oh, watch your step." A familiar voice persisted as its owner grabbed the earthbender by the upper arm to steady him. Bolin's rescuer smiled at the young woman still on the curb. His amber eyes were shy, as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. In his other hand, he held a single black and white flower. Asami grinned as he extended it towards her. "I-um-thought that you might like this, and I figured if I saw you here I would-uh-give it to you? I was actually on my way to your flat to deliver it in person?"

She accepted the flower graciously, Bolin using this chance meeting as an opportunity to escape. When he threw her one last terrified look, she glared before turning back to the young man that had obviously not heard the debate between the eathbender and nonbender. Upon closer inspection of the flower, she recognized it from Auntie Meng's stories. It was the symbol of love, and perhaps a part of her fortune, though she doubted Iroh knew any of that, and she would be far too embarrassed to let him know. "A Panda Lily. Thank you, it's beautiful."

"Oh, you know of them?" He sounded surprised.

"Just a little. They're really rare. Aren't they?"

He nodded. "Only grown in volcanic soil."

The General blushed profusely when he caught Asami's eye. There were no volcanoes in the surrounding area, and she was curious how he had obtained it. Iroh certainly did not want to make the impression that he was trying to move things between them too fast by climbing a volcano for her, if there was anything between them. He spilled out an explanation rapidly. "Oh, it was grown on Mount Makapu. There's a florist near here that sells them on rare occasions. He sends a delivery boy up there to go bring back a few dozen every month or so. They're the only place in the city that sells them."

"Three dozen, once a month? Well, that's not very many to go all the way around." Asami hid her grin over his thoughtfulness by pushing her nose against the petals to smell the fragrance.

Iroh shrugged. "I suppose, they're only for people that absolutely deserve one."

Both of them turned their heads away to disguise their blushes. And it was Iroh that spoke once again. "I-um-very much enjoyed your company last night out to tea. I'm so glad I managed to convince you to dance with me at the fair, or I never would have gotten the opportunity to share tea with someone so interesting and intelligent. Maybe, we could arrange something like that again when you're free?"

"I would really like that. Tonight, I have to go to the Police Academy graduation, I don't know if that sounds interesting to you, but we'll probably wind up going off to celebrate. And Saturday, I have a probending match to go to. You're welcome to come to along for either."

"How about both?" The handsome royal suggested.

"Sounds like a date, well, two dates. Get ready to have the best view in the entire stadium."

"It's two dates," He agreed, giving her a grin. "So, who are the fabulous Fire Ferrets playing tomorrow?"

"Certainly no palookas, they're playing the Black Quarry Boar-q-pines. It should be a great game. Their earthbender has had it in for Korra since she knocked him out of the ring during the first second of their match earlier this season."

* * *

"I'm gonna get fat," She hissed disappointedly. The radio was on in their bedroom and the shower ran in their attached bathroom.

Korra huffed a sigh as she stared at the girl in their bedroom mirror. The only articles of clothing the reflection wore were her Water Tribe wrappings, exposing her midriff. Her strong, but feminine hand ran over her upper pelvis and lower abdomen. Apart from what looked merely like a tad of bloat, her stomach looked flat and strong as it always had. She pushed lightly against her olive skin and noticed an unfamiliar type of firmness there.

Her eyebrows raised and her mouth fell slightly agape at the sensation, and she was put off by the sudden wave of affection that she felt. The Avatar had hardly given any time to consider her pregnancy apart from experiencing anxiety and bitterness over what was bound to come. Up until that moment, she had ignored the inevitable, even denying the truth and begrudging the unborn infant, who she had considered to be an intruder in her young marriage. But, now, with that single sensation in her fingertips, she no longer cared that Bolin would relentlessly make comments about how she had conceived during her honeymoon. Now, she wanted nothing more than to meet the person slowly growing inside of her, to hold the child in her arms, find out what they looked like, and whether or not it was a boy or girl. Mostly, she wanted the child to be perfectly healthy. Inside of her was a microscopic combination of her and Mako, a product of love.

She touched the spot once more, and a goofy smile spread across her face, and looking down she whispered uncertain and awkwardly, "Um-hi. Katara always told me that babies can hear people talking to them before they're born. And I don't know if you can yet, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm Korra, your mommy. Well-I don't know too much about infants-but, I'm pretty good with Tenzin's kids, so don't worry-but, I'm going to learn, and I'm sorry if I ever mess up with you. I mean, it's bound to happen. Just know that you are and will be so loved. That probably sounds weird, because I just found out that you exist, but it's true. I don't know why, but I already love you...so much. Things are gonna be tough at times, and I'm going to be a magnet for danger since I'm the Avatar and stuff, but I promise, I will always protect you. I-um-guess I'll let you go back to sleep now, since that's probably what you were doing. Sweet dreams."

The girl didn't notice the water shut off and continued to stare at her reflection. So, she was a bit surprised when a deep voice asked her what she was doing standing in front of the mirror half-naked. She smiled at Mako, who leaned against the doorway in nothing but a towel with his hair array from wetness, and for a brief moment, she thought about telling him, but something in her brain ordered her not to. Instead, she put her hand on one hip and pursed her lips. "Do I look like I've put on weight?"

His hooked eyebrows knit together in confusion in a disbelieving expression. Such a question was so unlike her. It was a rare day that the overly-confident Avatar needed any affirmations. He snorted. "You're crazy."

"You're a liar." She scowled.

Mako rolled his amber eyes and gave her devilish grin. "Okay, where am I supposed to be looking for this sudden weight gain?"

She motioned to her midriff and then glutes. He waggled his brow suggestively, and before she knew what was happening, he had removed the towel from around his waist and used it to whip her butt. "Oh, you mean right there?"

"Yes, there, you jerk!" Korra jumped back and playfully cut her blue eyes at him. He wound the towel up again and lunged at her. She squealed and leapt on top of their previously made bed, feet ready to spring at a moments notice. When he ran after her again, she quickly grabbed for one of the pillows as a defense mechanism. Before he could get her a third time, she had clocked him upside the head with one of the feather stuffed pillows.

"Oh!" He laughed, grabbing the other pillow and her ankle at the same time. "So that's how we're gonna play?"

Wriggling her foot from his grasp, she aimed a soft air blast at him that caused him to stumble backwards. Satisfied, she hopped off of the bed and raised the pillow above her head. Sitting spread eagle on the ground, he looked up at his wife's confident smirk. "No bending, you cheater!"

Dodging her next strike, he charged her, wrapped his arms abruptly around her bare waist, and tackled her. Laughing they collapsed back onto the mattress, Mako on top of her, into a disastrous pile of sheets. As their laughter died, Korra glared once more and her voice turned low, "You're a jerk."

"Yeah, yeah. I get that a lot." He bit his lower lip as he pushed his forehead against hers and gently cupped her shoulders. As his pupils dilated, he softly pushed his lips against hers, and Korra instantly responded. She arched her back as his hand trailed up and down the bare skin of her waist, just above her undergarments, sending tingles all throughout her body. Mako sneered and pulled his face away, earning a grumble from her. Slowly, in between words, he placed butterfly kisses up and down the nape of her neck. "You know?-I really don't-know what-you were talking about.-You are-sexy as ever."

Receiving a kiss on her collarbone, she recognized the huskiness in his tone, and fully acknowledged that he was completely naked. She gasped as his scarred arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer, brushing his lips along her throat. Korra ran her fingers through her husband's hair, using her forearms to grip his strong shoulder blades. The Avatar whimpered at his touch, her heart rate accelerated, and she began breathing heavily. "You-oh-mean it?"

"Absolutely. You're beautiful." His lips skimmed down her sternum to her bellybutton, causing her to arch her back once more.

"Ah, Mako," Her breath was light and airy.

"You-know-what-isn't fair?"

"Hmm? Mmm,oh! Agni, that feels good." She hummed as he pushed his face into her neck once more, wrapping her legs around his waist in order to bring his pelvis closer to her own.

"You still have clothes on."

She let out a content sigh. "Spirits, I love you."

"I love you-more."

* * *

They had barely made it in time. In fact, he had been one of the last graduating cadet to arrive at City Hall. When Captain Saikhan pegged one of his best students with a curious look, Mako simply gave him a sheepish grin, which looked strange with his formal dress police uniform, the black and gray cap making the uniform appear all business. Saikhan had simply rolled his eyes, fully aware of Mako's situation as a newlywed.

When they marched outside, they were met by several cheers. On the stage were the Council Members, high-ranking police officers including Chief Beifong, and the Avatar herself. The ceremony began with the United Republic's pledge of allegiance, followed by an opening speech from Beifong. They then received their medals, which were given out by the council members and Avatar Korra. Korra, dressed formally as well, pinned a medal on her husband's chest, kissed his cheek, and moved onto the next new sergeant. Next, they were sworn in by Saikhan. Finally, after the benders of all types and nonbenders alike had recited an oath to uphold the security of Republic City, Cheif Beifong personally presented each of them with their badge.

As she placed the golden piece on Mako's uniform she whispered, "I've got my eye on you, kid. So long as you don't get reckless or cocky, I'll see that you go far."

He had nodded in silent gratitude. Upon completion of the ceremony, Korra leapt into his arms and he spun her round. Holding her above his eye level, she had to put a hand on the back of his head to prevent his cap from falling off. "I'm so proud of you."

Their kiss was instantly interrupted by a pair of strong arms gathering them into a gigantic hug. "Way to go, big Bro!"

Not concerned with poise at the moment, Asami added herself to the group hug and Iroh clapped a hand on Mako's shoulder. When they all broke apart, the heiress shouted at a nearby photographer. "Hey, shutterbug!"

The man pointed at himself and she nodded. The young Sato rummeged through her satchel and withdrew a brand new camera that was obviously brand new and recently invented, as it was a small, single piece with no attachment for a flash. Everyone was mesmerized by the camera with the built in flash. She handed the camera to him. "Take our picture, will you?"

He shrugged, and Team Avatar, along with the General, put their arms around each other to pose for a picture. Bolin and Korra stood on either side of Mako, and although Korra her waist wrapped by Mako's arm and Bolin had his own arm around the firebenders shoulders, the two were truthfully attempting to give each other rabaroo ears. Asami rested her forearm on Korra's shoulder, leaning against her, her hand on her hip with her feet crossed, she gave the camera a self-assured smile. On Bolin's other side, Iroh smiled awkwardly, but with good humor as the earthbender slapped his back.

* * *

"You know? I've always liked you in uniform."

"I could say the same." He responded, watching her tie the Fire Ferret's red shin guard onto her right leg.

She eyed him briefly before standing up straight. They were temporarily left without disturbance from their friends inside the locker room at the edge of the arena. Bolin, as captain, was having an intense conversation on strategies with Tamal at the other end of room, Asami and Iroh were hanging over the railing pointing at how the view was much different and improved down here than in the actual stands, and she knew that somewhere in the stands were Tenzin, his family, and Lin Beifong.

"Mako?"

"Hmm?"

"Guess what."

Mako's lip curled and he gazed at her suspiciously. "What?"

"I have a really big surprise for you after the match!" She tucked her helmet underneath her arm and gave him an innocent expression.

He clapped his hand to his forehead. "Oh, Agni. Please tell me you didn't buy that sickly looking Tigerdillo from the carnies at the fair."

"No." She laughed, because she had been very close to it after learning that its owner wanted it off of his hands. "Almost, but no."

The firebender sighed, relieved. "Okay, good. So long as it's nothing like that, I think I'll take this _surprise_ well?"

"Well, it's a _big _one, so I hope so. And, do you _have_ to be condescending?"

"You wanna give me a hint as to what it is?"

Korra put her fingers on her lips, mockingly pondering his request. "Mmm, no."

"But-"

"You'll know soon enough." The bell sounded for the players to make their way into the ring. Bolin called her, and she gave Mako a quick hug before running over to the moving platform, but not without noticing the delighted look Asami was giving the couple.

As they waved to the roaring crowd in the stands, Bolin muttered last minute instructions to Korra and Tamal. "Remember, guys, the Boar-q-pines have it in for us. And, they were already a tough win when they didn't have a rivalry with us. Let them exhaust themselves and run out of juice. When they strike at one of us, our guard will hit 'em. Go it? Evade, assist, and hit. We _have_ to have each others backs this match, or we don't get into the tournament. There can't be any one man shows."

"Got it, Captain," Tamal grinned, popping his knuckles cockily. "We got this, guys."

Korra made eye contact with the huge, opposing earthbender as she strapped her helmet on, but he vanished from her vision as soon as the bell rang. The round was heated with discs soaring by, fire burning just past the, and water aiming to splash them into the next zone. She came to Bolin's aide for only a split second to ward off an aggressive waterbender, forgetting about Tamal and the other team's earth and firebenders. She left her team captain to take care of himself momentarily, only to have the buzzer gong, signaling Bolin's slip into zone two. The Avatar bared her teeth as she extinguished a fire blast headed straight for Tamal. The girl managed to rescue her teammate, but while in midair, the other waterbender sent her tumbling backwards.

"And that's the end of the first round, folks, with the Boar-q-pines in the lead. We'll have to wait and see if the Fire Ferrets can make a comeback in this next round." Shiro Shinobi's voice echoed in Korra's ears. "And they're off again. The Ferrets seem to be a little off their game tonight. Tamal and Bolin are being pelted with fire and water, but it looks like they're able to return it for the most part. The Boar-q-pines' earthbender certainly seems to have it out for the Avatar, but she is dodging everything he's throwing. Hold on folks, the Avatar has taken advantage of the Boar-q-pines' side stance, and she took him out from the knees. He's on the ground and Tamal comes in with the assist, and...he's in drink! And...so is Tamal."

The buzzer rang once more, indicating that the time had run out in the match. "It's a tie-breaker folks, an it looks like the Boar-q-pines won the coin toss. After a brief discussion, they've selected fire. The hotheads are at in now. Tamal goes in for the grapple, but he's overpowered, and the round goes to the Boar-q-pines."

"We _have_ to pull it together, you guys," Korra barked. The only chance they had at a win was a knockout, and judging by the previous two rounds, their chances of achieving that goal were slim to none. But, she knew that they all had determination.

The buzzer sounded once more, and time appeared to slow through Korra's eyes. As a wild blast of fire came barreling towards her, she bended the water from the grate in front of her to create a protective shield, and pushed a part of it with one hand to knock the firebender in the face. But, with her arm extended, and little protection, she suddenly felt an excruciating amount pain at the top of her arm from a fractured humerus. The crunch that resonated in her eardrums, along with the audience's gasps, was sickening. Gameplay would have stopped, but Korra was a fighter, and though her eyes blurred from the lack of concentration she sent a whip of water towards the earthbender that had caused the damage.

Bolin had taken the firebender off of her hands, and was in a fierce battle with him. With only one good arm still functioning, she was forced to bend with that one hand and her feet, but it hurt to have a dangling, broken arm while leaping through the air. As she threw a blind punch at the earthbender, a fountain of water slapped her deadpan in the face.

Somewhere in the ring she could hear Bolin's voice demand, "What are you doing? Go help Korra!"

To the six people dueling in the arena, this game was life or death, and vengeance meant everything. So, she knew that while she tried to ward off the attacks of two of her opponents, Bolin's uniform was being fried to a crisp and in an attempt to redeem himself for his loss against the other firebender, Tamal had taken an extreme offensive stance against him. She blew smoke out of her nostrils in irritation and disbelief, deciding she would take care of her problem like she did everything else, independently.

Just as she had the thought, the firebender was tossed over the back edge of the ring and went for a swim in the drink. But, it was too late. Even though the collision only sent her back a single zone, as she did her best to hold her ground, something was not right. One disks, two disks, and a third, thrown with such an intensity that it could have quite possibly have gone through a cement wall, pounded against her lower abdomen, sending a pain through her body that was even worse than her arm. One more douse of water knocked her face back and her helmet flew clean off, opening her up for one more brutally thrown, heavy piece of flying rock.

Distantly she could hear a splash, and a buzzer sounded to briefly halt gameplay. On the ground of zone two, Korra was crumpled into a fetal position. She lay on her broken shoulder, but she did not appear to show any concern for that. Her left arm was wrapped around her waist and she groaned. Unable to tolerate the stabbing sensation she felt all over her pelvic region and lower back, for a brief moment she wished she could just die so that the pain would leave her. But at once, something in her mind told her how preposterous such an idea sounded. A wave a nausea crossed her and she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground before her

"Korra! Spirits, are you alright?" Bolin's worried voice was right in her ear. He had tossed his helmet aside, and he kneeled in front of her, his hands on her good shoulder. Upon closer inspection of his brother's wife his face grew hot with fury and he jumped up to shout at his firebending teammate. "What the hell is your deal? You were supposed to back her up!"

Slightly disoriented she sat up, flinching. Behind her, two medics with a stretcher offered to transport her to the infirmary, but she refused. She did not need their help, she was going to finish this game. The men shrugged and departed while Bolin helped prop up his best friend. When she stood she received thunderous applause from everyone, even a polite clap from the opposing team, though only one was left in the ring. Bolin's inquisitive green eyes found her arm still draped across her abdomen, gripping it as though her life depended on it. "Are you okay to play?"

"Yeah," She mumbled weakly. Once the vomit had been cleaned and their helmets had been returned to them, gameplay resumed. Korra could hardly focus, but she knew that they were running out of time. This earthbender was powerful, but not so powerful enough to go up against an angry Bolin.

The younger bending brother pelted him with disc after disc. Finally, as he teetered over the edge of zone three and the drink, Bolin threw on last disc and screamed, "This is for my sister."

Bolin's words touched her, she found them to be completely endearing and warm. Or, was it something else that was warm? She was fairly positive that there was something else, sticky and unnatural. She barely responded to the celebratory embrace from Bolin, but she could hear Asami's shout for help the very second she set foot off the platform and into the locker room. Her sister-figure ran to her side as Korra, pale and in pain collapsed onto all fours. "It's going to be fine, Korra, I promise! Someone get a medic! A healer! Please, anyone! We have to get her to the hospital! You're gonna be alright Korra, I'll make sure of it."

She wasn't sure exactly who went to fetch medical attention, but she was sure that Mako was next to her, wrapping her in a towel. His amber eyes were horrified, not from her hit with he discs, but what had been caused by it. He choked on his words as he stared at her pelvis. "That's...not normal."

Korra's teary blue eyes met Asami's green ones. Silently, she begged her friend to reveal the truth to her, whether or not this _should_ be normal. She already knew there was blood, a lot of it, destroying the white part of her uniform. Korra knew what the blood pouring out of her body from between her legs meant. But, she just wanted to know for certain. Asami could not meet her eye directly, and she herself had let a tear drop. Yet, the limited amount of uncertainty on Asami's face gave her a small window of hope. Hope that just maybe, there was a chance to save them, to save her baby.

* * *

**Sad ending, I know! I'm sorry! But, I really liked writing this chapter and adding some fluff to it! Like Asami get the Panda Lily from Iroh, Korra making an attempt to talk to her baby, and Mako's reaction to her fat question. Btw that is the closest I will EVER come to writing a sex scene you perverts! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did then let me know! Because if you do and you don't tell me I have an army waiting to equalize you! Muah ha ha ha! Gosh I'm tired sorry if my subconscious offended anyone HA not really! Yes! No`Maybe! I should go to bed :P**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heads up! Get a tissue box! Like I'm serious!**

* * *

"_Whoosh!" The black-haired little boy in a steel gray jacket jumped a good few yards forward, and landed in a steady horse stance with an open palmed strike. "And then he was like wah-pah! And then-and then he was like kapow! Did you see him, Dad?"_

"_Yes, I did," The young man of Earth Kingdom heritage smiled at his young son who hung on his hand. The little family trudged along the streets of Republic City to their middle-class neighborhood, away from the probending match that they had just seen. The evening air was a bit chilly from the breeze rolling off of Yue Bay, and the man tugged his red scarf, a gift from his wife many years ago, tighter around his face._

"_And then he was like wah-bam!" The shorter green eyed boy in a green-grey continued his brother's enthusiastic reenactment, throwing an empty punch._

"_No, stupid, it was like pop-pop-pow!" He gave a a fairly impressive roundhouse kick for an eight year old, which was followed by a mean left hook._

"_I'm not stupid, you are!" The other little boy demanded._

"_Mako, apologize for calling your brother stupid. You know that isn't true, and it wasn't very nice."_

"_But, Mom," He whined. "He just called me stupid too!"_

"_And he needs to apologize too. Say you're sorry boys," His mother instructed, gently coaxing her miffed sons to hug one another._

"_Come one boys, do as your mother says. You fellahs have to look out for each other. Your mom and I aren't always going to be around, you know?"_

* * *

"KORRA!" His scream was heart wrenching and completely terrifying, it was filled with so much anguish and distress that everyone near him jumped. They couldn't take her away from him. He didn't care what any medic said, she needed him. The young firebender shoved his way through the security that tried to restrain him as he ran through the obstacle course that was a hospital hallway, until a brute force barreled into him and he glared up at the teary green eyes of his brother.

The Avatar had slipped in and out of consciousness since the moment she had collapsed on the ground of the locker room, and a pool of dark red had already completely surrounded her. Paramedics had arrived shortly afterwards with Iroh, Tenzin, and a stretcher. Checking her ABC's and vitals, they exchanged knowing glances. Calmly, but swiftly, they rolled her onto the stretcher, off of her broken arm, put her knees to her chest, and rushed down the stairs towards an awaiting ambulance.

Mako, his hands, gloves, and pant legs soaked in her blood, had begun to tremble. He had seen blood loss like this before during his rough childhood on the streets. A fellow orphan he had been acquainted with, had lost relatively the same amount of blood as Korra and news had quickly spread that he had died during the night. _'But,'_ He reassured himself_, 'Korra's an adult, not child-sized.'_

Asami had hopped into the ambulance with the young husband and paramedics for female support, while the others assured them that they would meet them at the hospital as soon as they got there. The engines started, and already the female paramedic put a non-rebreather mask on her and began to tear off the Avatar's supposed _protective_ gear. As she did so, Korra's blue eyes gazed at the bright ceiling rather sluggishly, almost as though she could not really focus on anything in particular. The medic's face stricken, aware that the unusually pale girl on the stretcher was likely to only give limited responses, asked the two people that had been instructed to stay put on the bench, "Has she had any missed periods, or does she have a known pregnancy?"

"Uh-," Mako stuttered, shocked. He rummaged through his memory, "I don't know, I don't thi-."

"She's pregnant." Asami's interruption made his gaze snap to her, his full attention on her. His amber eyes widened in shock and his mouth fell agape. The raven-haired beauty's voice and eyes were sad, and she put her hand on her surrogate-sister's as the medic padded her pelvic area and put an IV in her arm.

Pregnant? Korra was pregnant? How was that so? She had never said anything to him. Was that the surprise that was coming? No, it couldn't be true. There was no way that she wouldn't have told him. If she was pregnant, she certainly was not in this ambulance. Yeah, that was it. He was stuck in some horrible nightmare. He had fallen asleep during the probending match, and he had decided that when he woke up, he would find his dissatisfied wife looming over him, perfectly healthy, and giving him a hard time for missing her take the win. '_Wake up, Mako. This isn't real.'_

"Oh, shit!" The woman muttered under her breath with her fingers checking the pulse on Korra's wrist, causing both Asami and Mako to stare at her, terrified. Ignoring them, she shouted at the man driving. "Step on it, Shu! Significant tachycardia and hypotension. She's going into hypovolemic shock."

"Standard language, please?" Mako snapped.

"Her heart rate is too high and her blood pressure is too low, because her body is trying to make up for her significant blood loss. I'm no doctor, but from the looks of it she has quite a significant hemorrhage."

"Mako?" Korra's voice was weak and scared. Her blue eyes unfocused and lethargic, she tried to look at him. He had not realized that she was awake.

"I'm here, Korra," Mako took her hand from Asami, realizing just how cold her skin really was, and brought his face down to hers.

"I'm sorry."

"No," He insisted, stroking her milk chocolate hair, caressing the side of her cool face.

"I meant to tell you."

"It's okay," He cooed, pushing his lips to her forehead.

"Ah!" She cried in pain as another tremor ran through her pelvis and throughout her entire body. With her good hand, she had sluggishly dug her nails into the skin on his fingers.

Earnestly and apologetically, the paramedic had coaxed her into staying still for the unknown length of time she would remain conscious. She worked carefully and quickly to gently slip Korra's fractured arm into a sling. "I'm sorry. I have to take care of your arm before you get to the hospital."

A tremor ran through her body once again, and her eyelids became heavy as blood continuously poured from between her legs. "D-don't leave me."

Neither he, nor Asami was entirely sure whether her plead was directed at both of them or either one of them. But, it was Mako that spoke for them both. "Never."

* * *

_Mako shivered once again. As soon as night had fallen, the weather had become very chilly for the eight-year-old firebender and he wished that he had listened to his mother about bringing an extra coat to the probending game, but he had decided that he had not wanted to be bothered by it. Suddenly, though, he felt a warm sensation that reminded him of cotton drape around his shoulders and neck. Rubbing the scarf in his hands, he tilted his head back to grin gratefully at his father, only to have his hair ruffled by a large hand._

_He looked around the rather empty street of Republic City. There were a few street lamps lit up ahead and behind them, and a light dusting of snow from earlier that day had managed to stay in a few patches on the pavement. Mako smiled with content when he recognized the street. Only a few more blocks and a turn around the corner to go until they would reach home, and he would be able to crawl into bed and go to sleep. _

_The turn was just ahead when a small pair of feet began to drag a good distance behind them. Bolin's voice came as a whine, "Momma, I'm tired! I don't want to walk any further."_

"_Come on, Bolin, home is just ahead. You can walk it's what big boys do." His mother attempted to persuade him._

_Grumpy, cold, and tired, the six year old folded his arms across his chest and sat down cross legged in a pile of snow. He scowled. "No." _

"_If you don't stop frowning, your face is going to stick that way. Even worse, it'll stick that way and you'll be out here all night." His father told him seriously, gazing down at his younger son, trying to hide his smile._

"_I don't care," Bo huffed stubbornly._

"_Okay, fine. Goodnight, Bo." His father called as he turned around._

"_Yes, goodbye, sweetie. We'll see you in the morning. We love you." His mother continued, winding her arm around her husband's. Monitoring her younger son every few steps, she sent glances at him from her peripherals, convinced that he would follow. Alas, just as the three came up to the corner, Bolin had not followed._

_Her husband put his hand on Mako's shoulder, who had been giving him knowing looks as he had gotten the same lesson once before. Just as they disappeared from Bolin's line of sight he whispered, "Go get your brother, Mako."_

_The little firebender nodded and reversed his tracks to return to the stubborn little earthbender. He rolled his eyes upon finding his brother still cross-armed in the snow with a hurt and resentful expression on his face. "Come on, Bo, get up."_

_He padded over towards his brother and rested his hands on his knees. Green eyes glared back at him. "No."_

"_Mom and Dad aren't gonna just leave you here."_

"_They just did."_

"_No, they didn't. They're right around the corner, waiting for you."_

"_Why don't you tell them I'm not coming?"_

"_It's cold, Bolin. I want to go home. Get up."_

"_Then go."_

"_You want me to go?" He pointed with his thumb in the direction of his parents. "All right, I'll go. Good luck, though. The Blue Spirit likes to haunt these streets."_

"_The Blue Spirit is out here?" Bolin's little face grew horrified. It was every small child's nightmare to come face to face with such a terrifying ghost._

"_Yeah, but he only likes to prey on kids that aren't with their families." Mako shrugged nonchalantly and turned on his heel as though he were going to walk away. He knew that the Blue Spirit was a myth, but Bolin was still young enough to believe in him._

"_Mako!" He screeched, practically leaping from his seat in the snow, no longer tired. Bolin bolted towards his brother, who had briefly halted. "Don't leave me!"_

* * *

"She's going to need a transfusion. She's losing too much blood."

"Keep her warm. Elevate her legs."

"Unless you want to wait around some sixteen odd years for the next Avatar, we need to get her to the O.R. stat!"

Mako had felt himself choke on his breath as he ran behind the medical team rolling his beloved wife and unborn child down the hallway. He felt nauseous and nearly keeled over sick from their cold words, but he pushed forwards. So, this was how they were going to let him know that he was going to lose her-them? _'No, it's them now. She, and our baby.'_

His amber eyes had never left her unconscious, colorless form on the gurney. Somehow, he felt that so long as he could see her, her spirit would not abandon her physical being and permanently join the Spirit World. Irritatedly, he barked at the healers pushing her. "Don't you have any waterbenders that can heal her? That can get her stop bleeding?"

A security guard grabbed his arm at the end of the hallway, stopping him from following the group the swinging white doors that Korra had disappeared behind. He glared at the man and clenched his jaw. Mako pointed at the restricted zone. "That's my wife in there!"

"That's a restricted zone, young man. You'll be doing more good out here, out of the way. Please, go take a seat in the waiting room."

"Out of the way? She needs me!" Mako's screams had caught the attention of several nurses walking in and out of rooms, along with a few curious patients, and a few more guards that approached in case he need to be restrained. He blew smoke out of his nostrils, and inhaled deeply to steady himself. As his family approached, the pulse in his temples stopped throbbing. Reluctantly, he had nearly decided that she and his baby would be fine in the doctors' care. But, then there was a sudden stampede of feet headed past them, and he realized that they were doctors on stand-by, they were meant to be aides in a crisis situation.

As an act of defiance, he ignited a cool flame in his palm. The man yelped at the light heat and pulled his hand back from Mako's arm. Mako took chase at once, but as soon as he reached the doors his world stopped.

"We have a code blue in here!"

* * *

"_Well, hurry up then," Mako huffed as though waiting for his little brother to catch up were a chore. Bolin clung to his brother's arm, green eyes darting rapidly from side to look for the mythical spirit. The two brothers trudged towards the corner that their parents were around. Yet, as soon as Mako toook a step onto the other side of the street, he leapt back, slamming he and his little brother against the brick wall of the building. His amber eyes were wide and his little chest heaved up and down._

"_Hey! What the-?" Upon colliding with the wall, Bolin raised an eyebrow quizically at his older brother. Bolin tried to push against Mako's arm, but was instantly shoved and received a dramatic shake of the head. His brother looked terrified. "Ha-ha, Mako. Very funny. I know the Blue Spirit isn't out here bec-."_

_A hand covered his mouth. Holding his brother still, Mako placed a finger against his lips. Confused and worried, the younger boy obeyed. The little earthbender had never ever seen his brother look so serious or so scared, which was saying something, because Mako was a rather stoic child. Satisfied that he would listen to him, Mako turned around and peered around the corner of the building._

_Impossible. The sight before him was absolutely terrifying and just could not be possible. Before him, his two nonbender parents, were under duress. The gleam of the knife, held by an obviously experience mugger, was menacing and seemed prepared to strike his father at a moments notice. His mother stood a bit behind and to the side of her husband. Her eyes scared, she glanced backwards, searching for her sons. From behind the corner, Mako met his mother's loving amber eyes. From them, she silently spoke, 'Don't come here. I love you.'_

_His father, a rather tall and stalking man, insisted that neither of them had any money on them, which Mako knew to be true. The criminal's patience had worn and he lunged forward. Mere inches from being impaled, his father pushed the man's blow with one swift grab of the wrist. Rolling with the motion, the mugger sent a hard punch straight at his father's face. It collided with jaw, but he managed to grapple the side of the man's face, pushing the wrist and head in opposite direction. In the mean time, his mother tried to pry the handle of the blade away the man's hand._

_She yelped and leapt back, clutching her burnt hand. Worried, his father's instincts as a husband told him to make sure his wife was all right. But, in that brief instant, the firebending mugger overpowered him, twirled out from under him, leaving the boys father on the ground, and jammed the blade completely through his throat._

"_NO!" Mako let out a blood-curdling cry at the same time that a white bolt of highly energized electricity blinded him. Steam made a sickening sizzle from the back of his mother's body. The mugger looked up to stare at his only witness just down at the intersection. His face became permanently imprinted in the little boy's memory. He wanted to be sick, he wanted to wake up, he wanted to die, but then he remember his baby brother. Before he knew it the man began to charge him. Fueled entirely by adrenaline, Mako roughly half-shoved, half-dragged his brother. "Run, Bolin! Run!"_

_There were footfalls somewhere behind their own, but Mako's fear had driven them both forward. A crack of lightning snapped and struck something to the left of them. They ran further and further down the street, back towards the arena, back towards somewhere safe. A satomobile's horn blared and it's tires screeched as the brother's crossed a street. It's owner shouted at them, but they did not dare turn back. People began to appear on the streets in a more populated part of town. Some even turned their heads at the two little boys, curious what they were doing at this hour. Under the curious stares, something inside Mako told him that they were no longer being chased, but he refused to quit running. When Bolin's feet began to slow, Mako tugged on his hand that he held. Soon, trees began to appear overhead and patches of dead grass were beneath their feet. He only stopped once they were underneath the park bridge, on the bank of the stream. The little boy, clamped a palm over his brother's mouth and checked their surroundings to see if they had been pursued._

"_Mako?" Bolin's small voice pleaded for his older brother to say something. Yet, the response that he received was his brother collapsing onto the ground, pulling his knees to his chest, and sobbing. He had never seen Mako weep like this before, not in the six years that he had been his brother. Mako was always so brave and focused. His heart was torn, he was scared, cold, tired, and anxious, but he knew that he needed his big brother. Tears slipping down his own cheeks, Bolin crawled towards him and curled up next to his brother, becoming Mako's hugged knees replacement. Sadness clung to them both but Bolin found strength in their silent promise to each other. 'I'll always protect you.'_

* * *

Now, in Bolin's tight grip, Mako writhed. He broke one arm out and grabbed helplessly at the air. His voice became hoarse from screaming. Bolin ordered, "Mako, stop."

"Korra," He whispered again. His amber eyes were wet, and in defeat, he stopped struggling. Bolin released him and he slumped against the wall. Briefly noticing the figures of Asami, Iroh, and Tenzin standing a short distance from them.

To see his big brother so crushed was quite possibly the worst thing he had ever seen. No longer for the safety of others, but for comfort and love, Bolin wrapped his arms around Mako as he wept into his hands.

Mako had sworn to protect the family he had left, to guard them, and act as their guardian. And now, not only could he have possibly lost both his wife and child, he had failed them. The day he proposed to Korra, he had made an oath to himself to be the grandest father and husband in the world, but he had let the opportunity slip through his fingers. His heart was broken.

The door opened just down the hallway and the swing echoed in his ears. Each step seemed to resonate in his eardrums, and dread climbed from his chest into every other fiber of his body. In moments they would give him their condolences, and ask if he wanted to see the body. But, the footfalls never reached him, and he peered out from beneath his forearms. Instead, the doctor had whisked Tenzin aside. So, they wanted someone he knew to break the news to him? A twinge of anger and cynicism left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he breathed out another sob.

A slender arm wrapped around his back and a chin rested on his shoulder, next to his brother's arm. As she hugged him, tears streaming down her face as well, her raven hair brushed the side of his face. "The spirits won't let her leave."

"Mako," A deep voice kindly called him. Bolin and Asami released him and he shifted his gaze upwards. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach upon meeting the airbending master's sad, blue stare. Soon, it was only the two of them as two of his best friends in the world left to give him some space. Bolin put his arm around Asami's shoulders and guided her back to Iroh who took her hand.

Tears still shamelessly blurred his vision. Tenzin kneeled down to his level, and put his hand on his shoulder. "They've stabilized her."

Mako's breath caught in his chest and his as he listened to the middle-aged man. "They've managed to slow the bleeding, it should stop soon, and they have given a transfusion to make up for all of the blood loss. The doctor says that her coloration has improved and her vitals are back to normal. She isn't in the O.R. anymore, that they've wheeled her into her own room. He said that she should wake up soon. She _is_ going to make a full recovery."

He wanted to sigh with relief, but something clicked in his mind. He rasped, "The baby?"

"These things are rare. They typically don't happen from a mere collision, but Korra was hit with such brute force multiple times-" Tenzin's face grew stricken as he broke off. He swallowed. "The bleeding was caused from not only severe internal bruising, but the child violently detaching itself, which apparently caused an internal tear. But, she is going to lose the baby. Her miscarriage is inevitable. The child has all ready entered the Spirit World, but it's body has yet to arrive here."

Mako's bloodshot golden eyes gazed at the ground. How could something like that happen to him and his wife? Especially his wife? She didn't deserve to lose their child. Knowing Korra, she had all ready become very attached to the baby, and most likely loved it full-heartedly.

"She'll get through this, you both will. I know, because Pema and I did." When Mako gave him a surprised glance the airbender said, "Before Jinora came along, we lost our first child. It happened very suddenly, and Pema was devastated. I was too, but somehow just being there for each other made it better. It only made the arrival of our other children that much more special. You should be there when she wakes up. She'll want you there when it happens."

* * *

"She's all ready dilated a bit, and she's stirring. I'm very sorry," A kind nurse exiting Korra's room told him, squeezing his shoulder.

He nodded in partial gratitude and stepped inside. His heart ached to see her hooked up to an IV and heart monitor, and it nearly made him sick to see he coloring, though it was not as bad as it had been earlier. Her probending uniform had been stripped of her, and she now wore a hospital gown. Her arm was no longer in a makeshift sling, but an actual, useful one and casted past her elbow to prevent her from moving it. Her eyes were shut, but every so often she would fidget in discomfort.

Wanting to know for himself if she was truly okay, he ran his hand across her forehead and through her hair to push away her bangs. He bent down and placed his lips to her forehead, and sighed with relief. She was warm.

"Hi, Mako." Her whisper surprised him.

"Korra," He breathed, and wrapped his arms tightly around her neck. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to simply memorize everything about this embrace, inhale the shampooed scent of her hair and sea salty smell of her skin, how her flawless tan skin felt to the touch, and the sound of her breath. "I thought I lost you."

"Well, I'm here." She smiled sadly. "I was with Aang. When my body was in the O.R., I was in the Spirit World. He told me that I didn't always have to be so strong, that I could just let it out. He told me that I wasn't the first Avatar to lose a child and that I wouldn't be the last. They gave me some advice, to just ride through it, that it was a good idea to have the waterbender attitude of going with the flow because I can't control this situation. Aang told me that he would look after me, and offer advice whenever I needed it. He was holding her, she was wrapped up in a little pink blanket. He said that he would look after her until she could look after us. She was beautiful, Mako."

Tears stung his eyes. So, they were going to lose their little girl? Or, rather, they all ready had. He kissed her soft lips once, just to know if they were really there.

Not fifteen minutes later, she miscarried their little girl. Though, it did not hurt as much as an actual, full-term labor, she was still pained with the passing. He held her hand all the way through and when everything was over, the nurse offered to let them see the fetus. On the small blanket, she was no larger than a very big blueberry, but her head and nose and lips and arms were clearly formed. When tears started to flow from his eyes the nurse set their child to rest in a wooden box for them to bury. As soon as she left, Korra finally broke down in tears, the first time she had cried through the whole thing.

* * *

**I'm sorry! I know it's depressing, but I PROMISE! Things WILL get better for them! I swear! Please review, though. I'm not sure if I got the whole affect in like I wanted to.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay! New Chapter!**

**1920's Slang:**

**rummy: a drunken bum**

**zozzled: drunk**

**fire extinguisher: a chaperone**

* * *

The cotton sheets overtop of the well padded mattress made her feel as though she were lying on a cloud. Despite the numbing ebb in her upper left arm, she was rather comfortable. A breath tickled her neck, moving her hair back and forth. A strong arm gently laid across her stomach protectively, and his body was pushed as close to hers as physically possible, his forehead against her cheek.

"I love you," She whispered to the sleeping figure beside her.

Birds and flying lemurs chirped and chattered outside in the early morning. Somewhere in the distance she could here a sky bison yawn. Animals spoke animatedly in their own languages, as Air Acolytes filled up their feeders Air Temple Island was beginning to wake up, but all the Avatar wanted was to stay in bed.

They had been there nearly a week. She had been discharged the day after her miscarriage, and instead of going home to their own flat, they had gone to Air Temple Island. But, not without making a stop first.

* * *

_They had taken their own, separate cab, promising to meet their family at the island as soon as they were done with their errand. The majority of the way to their destination, Korra leaned against the door and stared solemnly out the window, the wooden box that their daughter rested in on her lap. Mako, physically and mentally unable to truly delve deep inside of her emotions of a motherhood lost, simply wrapped his arm around her shoulders and placed his lips to her temple._

_He had given the cabbie directions to drive them to the North Shore of Republic City. When they reached their destination, he hopped out and opened Korra's door, tipped the driver, and wrapped his arm around her once again. The waves that continually crashed upon the shore, as the young couple walked northwards towards a vegetated hill, were stained pink by the sun that was preparing to set. Their figures, Air Temple Island, and Avatar Aang Memorial Island were silhouetted against the orange rays cast across the sky._

_As they trudged onwards, ammophila began to appear in patches. Every so often Mako would kneel next to a large stone to inspect. It was only when they became very close to the bluegrass covered hill that they came across a large, perfect, pure white rock that they agreed on its beauty. Overgrown grass became thicker beneath their feet on the hill, and from the fertilized grown grew sparse trees. They only came to a stop under an old Cherry Blossom Tree nearest the edge, overlooking the sea. Mako gave a partial smile when he ran his fingers across the trunk where Bolin had teasingly, and with the encouragement of the airbending kids, had carved his brother's and Korra's names inside of a heart. He remembered how he had laughed when Korra had told Bolin that upon her next journey into the Spirit World, she would have a conversation with the tree's spirit to see how it felt about being tattooed. Apparently, it had not minded, but she had not told Bolin that, instead telling him that it was very angry._

_They kneeled next to a protruding root, and Korra laid the box beside her as Mako laid the stone on top of the root. With a surprisingly slow form of earthbending, she moved away a pile of dirt nestled between a fork in the roots, as though tree was going to protect whatever was there. Gently, she laid the small box inside. Without making a sound, she refilled the hole and padded the mound down by hand, with a little bit of effort from one broken arm, neglecting the help her husbands offered. She left enough space in the dirt to place the white stone atop as a grave marker. With a combination of friebending, earthbending, and airbending, she made the implantation permanent. A breeze blew and a few pink blossoms fell around them._

_With a a focused expression, Korra carefully ran her finger along the white tombstone. Markings etched into the rock from her earthbending. When she was finished she pulled back from the rock that now read, 這在於我們失去的天使__. 'Here lies the angel we lost.'_

_He took her hand, their knees still resting on the ground before their baby's grave. Tenderly he asked. "Do you have anything you want to say? Something that will bring you closure?"_

_Her gave a pang as she realized that she was not prepared for closure. The grief had consumed her to the point of making her want to hang onto these horrible feelings. But, she knew that closure would be for the best. Even though she cleared her throat, her voice came out low. "I wish that you could have stayed with us. That we could raise you. But, we can't. I can't change time."_

_Frustrated, angry tears spilled from her eyes and she pulled at the grass in the ground. "I should never have gotten into that ring! It was my fault! If it hadn't been for my stupid mistake of putting you at risk, you would still be here! I promised you!"_

_She sobbed and she bent forwards in distress. "I promised I would protect you, and I didn't! I didn't! I'm so sorry! I wish I could take it back! I'm so sorry!"_

_Mako wrapped his arms around his helpless love, and for a brief moment her eyes glowed. Her body still shook, but she was calmer and her breath was steadying. He knew that simply telling her that such a tragedy was not her fault, would be a frivolous effort. But, he had to say something. He grasped her face in his hands. "Korra, maybe it was just her time to go. Don't blame yourself. Do you think any child would want their mother to feel guilty their whole life? They want to see their mom for exactly what they are, a hero. It's...hard to grasp right now, but we'll get through this like anything else. And...if we ever give her a brother or a sister, maybe she's a warning to just cherish our children that much more."_

* * *

The decision had been made by Mako and Pema. The main reason being that Pema wanted nothing more than to keep a watchful eye on her surrogate daughter in case she began to hemorrhage again, or sunk deep into a dark depression. As they had gotten to their temporary home early Sunday evening, Chief Beifong had relieved Mako of any duties on Monday in order for him to stay with Korra. Instead, he was given three fourteen hour shifts for later that week.

Monday morning, he had woken up earlier than usual to see Korra groaning next to him. Her face was pushed into her pillow, her arms around her pelvis, and her knees were to her chest. If he had not been worried, he probably would have laughed at her strange position. He had rubbed her back after she moaned about having cramps. The doctor had explained to them that cramping and a light amount of bleeding would be normal for the next few, but a lot of blood would not be. He had made sure keep a pot of wild red raspberry leaf tea near their bedside, and pouring her a cup, he heated it with his firebending. Though there were a few times that she did venture from the bed that day, Mako made sure that she spent most of it resting.

At twelve in the morning on Tuesday, Mako was required to report in at the Police Headquarters. So, at eleven in the evening on Monday, he had refused to leave until he knew for certain that Korra, who had seemed rather numb throughout the day, would be watched by someone. That night, it had been Asami, and the two girls had wound up falling asleep not much longer after he had left, chatting about anything that came across their minds like they had when they had been roommates and during sleepovers before then.

For the next three days, the same routine had been followed. Around three in the afternoon Mako would return, and check in with his wife who suddenly seemed very focused with her waterbending. Each day he found her barefooted on the island's beach, pushing the salt water back and forth it gentle movements with only one arm. Kya, who would keep an eye on her while she was in the water, stood just out of the Avatar's view up the hill. The first time that Mako had found his wife practicing such rhythmic movements, Kya had explained to him that water was a source for all kinds of healing, not just a physical wound. She would continue her waterbending throughout the nap that he took to replenish himself, until around seven when dinner came. During the day Tenzin did not push any airbending lessons on her, at the table Bumi's and Bolin's jokes were not at her expense, Kya would recommend waterbending techniques, Asami would discuss new weaponry that she knew the young Avatar would find fascinating and just let her know that she cared, and Pema made sure to give her foods full of iron and vitamins to make up for her blood loss. The children were more than willing to make Korra feel better by showing her tricks they had learned with marbles, though Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan only had a vague idea of what had happened. Jinora, who was well aware of what had happened offered to be an open pair of ears for her and had given up any chance to assist her. After cleaning up from dinner, Korra would go get ready to turn in for the night. For the next few hours Mako would lie with her, usually in silence, until he had to leave. On Wednesday, it was Pema that laid down with her, and a couple hours into the night Ikki and Jinora tiptoed into the Avatar's room as well and fell asleep hugging their mother and the young woman that was much like their oldest sister. On Thursday, it was Senna. Her own mother and father had been notified by mail and had headed towards Republic City as soon as they were able.

Now, it was early Friday morning, and the first morning in what felt like years, that she woke up beside her exhausted husband. She turned more on her side to face him and smiled the first legitimate smile she had felt in days. In peace he was so peaceful. His eyebrows were relaxed from their typical brooding expression, and his lips were slightly parted. She ran her fingers over his cheek, feeling just how smooth it actually was. Above his eyebrow, she touched what would have been a scar had it not been for her waterbending. He had come home a week into training at the police academy with a black eye and a nasty cut on his forehead. She had laughed when he told her that it actually hadn't been from being clipped in a fight, but had been slammed in the face by the edge of a rather heavy door.

Looking at Mako asleep was like looking at her own personal paradise. They were both stubborn and pig-headed. She was fiery, self-centered, and driven by impulsive feelings, while he was contemplative, level-headed, and a planner. They balanced each other like the coy fish incarnates of the moon and ocean, Tui and La. He had held her through the night without letting go, and now she could not take her eyes off of him. It was the first day that she felt any better at all. There was still the feelings anger and sadness lingering in the pit of her stomach, and it was not to say that she was okay with the situation, but she felt as though she had finally started to come to terms of the reality of her situation.

She nuzzled her way down to push her face against his cheek, instead of the opposite. Korra sighed contently, closed her eyes, and placed her right hand against his strong, bare chest. The left came to a stop next to it with a bit more effort. All day yesterday, since the top part of her arm had not been casted, Korra had used healing techniques to speed the cure time for the fraction. Now, instead of a week old break, her arm felt as though she had a five week old break. Mako had come home to find her using water as a saw to tear the cast, which had begun to irritate her, from her arm.

"You should have left it on," He mumbled into her hair, now awake.

Korra breathed a light chortle, "No."

"I know, it was bugging you." His reply was most certainly not a question.

"Yep."

To see Korra smiling was like a breath of fresh air. Though surprising, it brought everyone's spirits up to see her with a fire in her eyes again. She offered to help cook and clean up from breakfast, she joined in with the conversations instead of keeping quiet with her head down, and she even joined in playful banter with Bumi and Bolin. After breakfast she and Mako joined Tenzin and the kids for meditation and afterwards she participated in light airbending training. Around noon her body was tired and forced her back into bed for a nap with her husband. But, that evening she felt well enough to listen to the new radio episode of, 'The Spirit' with the whole family and crew.

A shower had begun outside, and the early autumn air was muggy. Bolin and Asami sat on either side of Korra on the floor against the couch with a bowl of sizzle-crisps. The three clung to each other during and hid under a pillow during the ominous parts. Meelo and Ikki had climbed on top of Mako, who laid on his stomach next to his brother, a pillow under his chin. On the couch, Jinora sat between Kya and Bumi, who sat next to Tenzin. Rohan was on Senna an Tonraq's laps, much to Pema's relief, as she needed a mild break from all of her children once in awhile despite how much she loved them. Iroh, who had been invited join, held Asami's hand during anticipating scenes, much to Korra's amusement.

The lights were dim in the room to set the atmosphere as the announcer's voice came over the radio. "From Republic City, it's time now for...The Spirit."

There was the sound of a ringing phone and a man yawning. In a groggy, irritated voice he said, "Keme Kotori."

"Hi, Keme, it's Akito," The other man on the line responded urgently.

Keme's voice groaned, "Oh, holy smoke, Kito! What are 'ya doin calling me at this hour at night?"

"I'm on the night shift, and I'm sorry I had to wake you up."

"So am I," The other man bit back begrudgingly.

"Well, listen now that you're up. I just got a call, a real frantic one, from a guy asking for a few of our detectives to come check out a murder. He says he's one of the night guards at Fortune Corporation."

"What's that got to do with me? I'm not a detective anymore, you know that."

"Yeah, but you were one of the best. I think you may find this case very interesting. Especially as a reporter."

"And why's that?"

"Because the guy that was murdered was supposedly murdered by his dead predecessor."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"No, Keme, this is what the guy told me. He said he saw someone that looked like the former CEO, Tomoya Tomi walkin around right around the factory around dusk, but whenever he tried to follow, the guy just disappeared. And just a few minutes ago the guard called and said he found what looks like Riki Tomi's body lying dead in his office."

"What do you mean, 'what looks like?'"

There was a pause and the radio crackled. "It's his face Keme, it's scarred up beyond recognition."

"Fantastic. Let's give all the children nightmares for the next week," Tenzin huffed, only to be shushed by everyone.

"Oh, you can't tell me you believe his father's ghost killed him?" Keme snapped.

Akito sounded knowingly contemplative through the radio crackle. "I can't say, but...I'm sure _The Spirit_ would be interested in finding out."

Keme Kotori's voice narrated his actions as if they poured right out of his thoughts, and accurate background noises played along with his every movement. "I knew that telling Koti that my alter ego was more than interested in researching such a peculiar case would only make him a bit more arrogant. So, I kept that information to myself the rest of our phone call. In the dead of night, I drove across town towards the industrial sector. I knew that the crime scene investigators would have no interest in pesky reporters butting into their business, so I parked my Satomobile in a back alley and snuck my way in around the back way."

That night's story went on to have Keme Kotori, disguised as his infamous alter ego, sneak his way inside and overhear the conversation between security guards and investigators. Then, snooped around the crime scene briefly in a very anxiety filled scene of dodging body guards and investigators. After making a daring escape into the shadowed hallway outside of the place of murder. Kotori was suspicious of any claims that a ghost had murdered his eldest son and heir, and decided to make his way to the younger Tomi son's mansion for a chat to see whether he knew anything about his brother's murder. Of course, he had not left the office building before discovering that one of the investigators, still unaware of his presence, was an old flame and friend that knew his identity.

"Hello, Nori." He whispered after the sound of a door slamming.

"I figured that was you, Spirit. Lurking in the shadows like always I see."

"It's nice to see you again."

"Well, I would say the same, but you aren't exactly in my line of sight. I thought we had guards out front waving off reporters."

"Oh, you do, but I don't look too much like a reporter at the moment. Listen, Nori, do you know the whereabouts of Yuki Tomi, Riki Tomi's younger brother? Does he know that the currently unidentified body is most likely his brother's?"

"Really, Keme, maybe you should come back to detective work sense you're so nosy."

"I like writing too much."

"Hmm, well, last I heard, he's out of town. A friend of a friend said that he was on vacation out in-"

"We interrupt this previously scheduled program to bring you an emergency announcement. Category two typhoon, Cyclone Yuya, is on its way here earlier than expected. Please, be sure that all precautions have been taken. Board up windows, make sure nothing breakable is in range of windows, be sure to have pulled out candles, and remember to stay safe Republic City." Shiro Shinobi's voice came over the radio, and the rain outside grew heavier as he spoke. "The worst parts of the storm are expected to last through tonight until Sunday morning, with winds reaching one hundred miles an hour and severe lightning storms. We advise that everyone remain indoors, preferably in basements, and only venture outdoors if absolutely necessary. We apologize for this interruption as we return to-"

The power died the moment a large crack of thunder roared directly overhead. The children jumped and Bolin groaned in the darkness. "Aww, for crying out loud! I thought the last typhoon already came and went! It was just starting to get good!"

"Hey! Did you just kick me, Meelo?" Ikki shouted at her little brother in the dark.

"Get off," Mako grunted, apparently one of the children had stood up on him.

"No, you rummy! I didn't touch you!"

"Don't call me a rummy, you zozzled moron!"

"Enough." There was a crash and Korra ignited a flame in her palm for enough lighting for everyone to see Meelo and Ikki wrestling on the floor before them. Ikki was pinching him while Meelo bit her forearm. Bumi laughed while his brother stomped towards his middle children. Tenzin picked them up by the scruffs of their pajamas and gave them stern looks, before throwing an accusing look at Korra. "I don't know where you learned to speak that way, but it certainly wasn't from me or your mother."

"Don't look at me!" Korra argued, loosing her flame. Mako, who had scooted back next to Bolin, and Iroh lit their own. "I don't talk like that around them."

"Yeah, Daddy, it wasn't Korra. It was Uncle Bumi." Meelo offered, pointing at his laughing Uncle. The two exchanged thumbs up.

Tenzin rolled his eyes and gave his older brother a look that suggested that he would be speaking with him later when another split of thunder rumbled through the sky and then two guilty children sprung together in a startled embrace. "Well, I guess that goes for an apology. Time for bed."

As Tenzin strolled down the hall with two children under each arm, Iroh stood, assisting Asami into a standing position as well. "Well, I suppose before the storm gets worse, I should be headed back."

"Oh, Iroh, there's no need for that." Pema offered. "You should stay here tonight. The port is so far away, and it's too dangerous to take the ferry out. I insist that you stay in the men's dormitory tonight."

Respectfully, Iroh bowed. "Thank you, Pema. I appreciate your hospitality."

Asami grinned at him. "Bolin and Mako know where it is. I'm sure they can show you."

"Very well. Goodnight, Miss Sato." He bowed in a gentlemanly manner and kissed her fingertips.

Asami blushed violently, "Goodnight, General."

Bolin stood and whistled. Teasingly, he waggled his eyebrows. "Wow it's a good thing I'm here to be your fire extinguisher, or things would get really crazy. Come on, _General_."

Korra and Jinora laughed at the way Bolin addressed Iroh so dreamily. Asami looked about ready to die of embarrassment as he wrapped his arm around the other man's shoulder and led him away in another burst of thunder.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it. In a way I almost felt like this was _filler_. But I hope you liked the way did their burial, Korra's post partum depression, and Bolin's teasing, even the radio show? Lemme know! I'll try to update fast this time around!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So sorry it took so long to update! I've been really busy packing up for college and helping my mom out with paperwork for her divorce and around the house. I hope you like it, and that the wait was worth it. Sorry if it's a little short.**

* * *

"What are we doing here again?" Bolin asked as he trudged along the beaten path intertwined in between the trees of the forest that they had been walking for almost two days.

* * *

"Two lovers, forbidden from one another. A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together," A soft, feminine voice sang from the kitchen.

Mako's ears perked in interest, distracting himself long enough for Jinora to take advantage of him in their game of Pai Sho. Rain still beat heavily against the window, and wind howled through the afternoon air. Every once in awhile when lightning cracked, the radio would fizzle in and out, and the lights would dim. Pema, Korra, and Senna chatted on the other side of the room. Somewhere amongst the corridors of the Temple, Tenzin had been roped in by Bumi and his three youngest children to play a mdified game of hide and explode with Asami, Bolin, and Iroh, who had apparently taught it to them years ago.

"My mom used to sing that to me."

Her voice startled him and he quickly jerked his head to see a pair of green eyes peering out at him, most of her body hidden from view. "I thought you were with the kids!"

"She's been there for ten minutes," Jinora announced as she contemplatively moved one of her Pai Sho tiles. She smiled in satisfaction. "You turn, Mr. Observant."

Mako pursed his lips in thought and made his move across the board. Meanwhile, Asami murmured, "I'm still in the game, so keep your voice down."

"Sorry," His apologetic expression quickly became sour as Jinora used her most practiced piece, the White Lotus. "Did you say your mom used to sing that to you?"

The beautiful Chief Executive Officer nodded. "Apparently a legend went along with it too, but I never got to hear it from her. She didn't know it. And, I can't remember the songs name either."

When Mako merely shrugged uncertainly, Jinora piped in, "It's 'Secret Tunnel.' GranGran and Grandpa Aang used to sing it to her, Uncle Bumi, and Dad. It's Aunt Kya's favorite song."

"Does she know the legend?" Asami asked the preteen hopefully.

Jinora nodded, frowning in concentration as Mako bested her with his next move. "I'll tell it to you if you would like, but I've always preferred to listen to Aunt Kya tell it. She really makes you feel wrapped up in the story. Of course, the second time she told it to me, we were actually there."

"Actually _where_?" Asami questioned.

With a twinkle in her eye, Jinora looked away from the board game. "The Secret Tunnel."

* * *

"So, we're here because of a legend? How awesome! I feel like I'm living a fantasy!" Bo exclaimed.

"Kya said that it would be best if we experienced the tale first hand, so I thought it would be nice for us to go have an interactive history lesson," Asami elaborated.

"Awesome." He paused in his tracks, along with Naga, his walking partner when he heard something strange in the distance.

Birds, startled, flew from their perches and nests above the branches of the thickly wooded forest. The second time the sound rippled through the air, the rest of the group halted and turned to stare behind them. Asami, experienced in mechanics, was the one to identify the source of the unspoken question. "Miners. From where we passed a few miles south of here. It shouldn't have any effect on where we're going. We'll be too far away. They tend to stay where they know there are steel deposits. We buy from them. Besides, if they expanded, it would probably upset this forest's spirit."

"I don't know if I want to deal with another angry spirit right now," Korra muttered under her breath, folding her arms across her chest. The last time she had visited the Spirit World, she had left on good terms. Most of the Spirits she came across were friendly and willing to help her. She specifically enjoyed the company of the cuddly panda Hei Bei, and the monster side of him with a temper-brought on by cranky spirits that would pester the Avatar-was particularly entertaining. Sometimes she would come across Aang to seek his wisdom, and after spending more time her past life she had come to love the goofy airbender as a friend and spiritual guide. Despite the fact that most upset spirits-while a nuisance-were usually easy to calm, there were always the horrific spirits from darker, more daunting places of their world. Koh, the face stealer was one of which she specifically did her best to avoid.

"I suppose now is a good time for a break. We've already stopped. We might as well take a rest," Iroh said. He opened a pack his ostrich horse was carrying and withdrew three flasks of water.

"I think we should keep moving," Mako argued, glaring at the map he held. "We just stopped an hour ago."

"Ah, come on, Mako. I'm hungry," Bolin urged, digging through Naga's saddle for lunch.

"And, I have to go to the bathroom," The Avatar added as she rushed into the trees.

"Of course you do," The twenty year old firebender commented with teasing sarcasm. He dropped his backpack in defeat and snatched one of the water flasks in front of the other firebender, plopping himself onto the ground across from him.

As Asami withdrew a canteen of food from Naga's saddle, she asked, "So, who gets to pick the next mini vacation?"

"Ooo! Ooo! Me!" Bolin announced, enthusiastically waving his hand in the air. "We'll already be near Omashu, so I say we head into town and take the mail shoots for a spin!"

"You know? I've always wanted to try that!" Iroh told the small group with him. "When I was seven, Aang told me that he would take me the next time I saw him. But, we didn't get the opportunity. He passed a few weeks later, and I never thought to ask anyone else to go with me. Thanks for reminding me Bolin. It's illegal, so we'll have to be careful. After the chaos Aang, Katara, and Sokka caused, they now fine anyone that tries to ride the slides.

"So, we'll have to move fast," Mako added. A gleam was in his amber eyes. Though, he did not appreciate a potential fine, for some reason the allure and danger attracted him.

"Exactly," The General responded, smiling devlishly.

"All right, I'm back! What's for lunch?" Korra announced as she strode back onto the path carved around the trees. Bolin tossed her an unopened container of Flameo's Instant Noodles. Most people did not care for the pre-made meal, but to Korra and Bolin, food was food.

A breeze blew and everyone except Korra shivered. Asami pulled her jacket tighter around her. "It's really starting to feel like Autumn ever since the storm passed."

"I miss it," Korra added, stuffing her face. "All the hot rain and the lightning!"

* * *

Rain and wind had battered Republic City for four straight days up to that point, and it was still going strong. The typhoon had been miscalculated and was actually a category three. As the bay was much too violent to cross by ferry; Tenzin, Mako, Iroh, Asami, Bolin, and Korra had taken Oogi for a low altitude flight to make it to their respective occupations. For Mako, the crime rate was bound to be higher, Iroh needed to return to base for his three day shift, Asami had a quality made quota to meet, Bolin had practice with Tamal and his new waterbender for the tournament approaching next month, and Korra and Tenzin had a city to look after. That evening, the storm had turned more violent and they were forced to stay on the mainland.

Bolin was on their couch in the living room because he insisted that there were too many windows at the apartment in the arena. For nearly two hours, Korra stared out the window looking at the Temple across the bay. Guilt consumed her for leaving Naga, and she was certain that the polar bear dog was crying and howling for her life long friend, frightened by the thunder. Naga was tough, but she was a big softie. Mako had eventually pried her away from the windowsill after insisting that her pet would be fine with the air kids and Korra's parents.

Wednesday evening, the winds calmed and the clouds began to part. A light mist fell as they boarded Oogi, and the Ocean beyond the temple was stained a pinky orange. Asami hopped off the flying bison first to be immediately received by Meelo. "I guess it's over."

Unfortunately, the heiress had spoken too soon, and a bolt of electricity barreled straight out of the sky. Without a second thought, Korra raised her hand to intercept it before the lightning could touch any of her friends. Her fingertips could feel the heat and deadliness of the sky's projection. She did not hesitate for a heartbeat, though, aware that such a stunt could lead to her death. Feet planted firmly on the ground, Korra traced her fingers down her arm, around her ribcage, to the pit of her stomach, and away from her heart. The lightning coursed through her veins, and she could feel it swerve like a train out of her hand and across the the bay, straight into Aang's statue's face.

"Sorry, Aang," She muttered, a smile gracing her lips. Turning around, she saw her shocked companions. Their eyes wide, lips pursed, and hair standing completely on end from the static electricity. At first it was just a chuckle, but as she continued to look at them, their faces contorted in confusion, she broke out into gut-busting laughter. Her laughter was received by the musical sound of their own. They laughed themselves silly, past the point sore stomachs and red faces. Tears of giddiness rolled down their cheeks and simply looking at one another caused them to chortle harder. And, for everyone, Mako in particular, to hear Korra's laugh again made them all feel alive once more.

* * *

"Ah, let's go, you stupid ostrich horse! It's just a cave!" Bolin tugged on the stubborn animal's reigns at the mouth of the tunnel.

"He has to be bought, Bolin," Iroh insisted.

"He isn't getting _any_ of _my_ food!' Bolin announced.

"Well, if you're not going to bribe him, he's going to stay out there and wind up getting picked off by a hungry saber-toothed moose lion." Korra told the earthbender.

Though obviously frightened by the enclosed space, the mention of a carnivorous predator convinced the ostrich horse to follow the people, polar bear dog, and fire ferret inside. Light only shone part way into the main entrance of the cave until they were met by a fork in the path.

"Which one?" Mako asked, his right hand lit as a torch, his left holding a map of the Earth Kingdom.

"The right one. Give me the map." As they headed into the right tunnel Asami drew a straight line with two separate paths to take at the end. "This way we'll know where we are."

"I must say, I admire you for your intelligence, Miss Sato."

"Thank you, General."

Bolin pointed a finger at his open mouth and gagged. Having directed his humor at her, Korra giggled. Asami and Iroh had been courting, as he called it, for just a month. And, they had yet to display any physical sort of affection for one another besides hand holding. Every once in awhile they would share the occasional romantic gesture, and to the naked eye it was beyond obvious that they not only fancied, but had a great deal of feelings for one another. But, neither had expressed any thought that they should be _official_.

As they trekked through the cave, the three firebenders lighting the way, they noticed a few different entrances and exits along the way. Beside them, at one point were open holes in the ground that sank deeper into the cave. Some had a gradual, while others simply dropped into a dark abyss. Beneath a few they could hear what sounded like water dripping and churning.

"It's a dead end," Mako announced disappointedly, his flame shining on the stone wall before them.

"Don't sweat it. We can turn around and try the other. It not, we'll use one of the side passages. Maybe Bolin and Korra can just carve a way for us." Asami retraced her steps back towards the fork, glancing between the cavern and her hand drawn map. "Wait a second, that's weird."

"What's weird?" Bolin asked.

She pointed one gloved hand to the wall on their right. "I had it drawn here that there was another tunnel, and there too."

"Maybe you just made a mistake on the map," Korra shrugged.

"I don't think so," She muttered, trudging ahead of them. "And I don't have it drawn that the tunnel turns so much. Iroh, could you send a blast up there?"

"Of course." Fire illuminated the cave as he let out a fountain of flames from his closed fist. A couple of wolfbats were frightened away by the blinding light, and flew out of the mouth of the tunnel. The group followed behind them only to find themselves right next to the crevices leading to underground streams in the dark abyss.

"You've got to be kidding me," Asami breathed out, taking in the separate tunnels. "We just went in circle, but I don't understand how. That was supposed to lead us back to the fork, but it just brought us back here. I can only think of one reason why, but it sounds crazy."

"Don't say what I think you're going to say," Korra insisted. "I thought it too."

The taller girl shrugged. "You and Bolin can move the earth, and Kya did say the cave was cursed. I think it would be best if we-"

The ground beneath their feet rumbled and quaked. Stalactites hanging from the ceiling began to began to shake. Bolin tried to steady the surrounding rocks, but for whatever reason there was too much resistance an opposing pressure. "Great mini vacation idea! Experience the Legend!"

Rocks began to spill in around them. They tried to retreat, but could only manage to dodge the falling earth. Korra gritted her teeth as one rock pushed her back to the point of standing on the edge of a crevice. Her blue eyes quickly darted to a gigantic boulder hurdling straight towards Mako, Asami, Bolin, a preoccupied Bolin, Pabu,, Naga, and the ostrich horse. She pushed her hands apart and two powerful gusts of wind blew the General, her husband, and the heiress one way to safety, and Bolin and their animal companions to another. But, as she put their lives before her own, something heavy clipped the side of her head and her eyes rolled back in unconsciousness.

Mako, without a second thought, darted after her. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she fell back into the black pit below where the unknown lie. A solid wall of earth separated him from his brother, but through a maze of falling debris he could still reach wherever his wife had fallen into. His senses heightened by the rush of adrenaline in his veins, he could hear the turbulence of of flowing water below him. Dumping his backpack on the ground and with a fire blast to illuminate the cave underneath him for one brief image, he inhaled deeply and jumped feet first in after her.

The icy water clawed at his heartstrings and the bitter frostiness crept into his chest, suffocating him as he dove beneath the surface. He swam with the flow of the current. Though not a strong rush of water, it was definitely enough to push an unconscious, nineteen-year-old girl. From the glowing light of the stone ceiling above, the firebender had enough luminosity to see beneath the surface. Mako pushed forwards in the dimly lit stream towards the Water Tribe girl with the floating ponytail. One last bubble escaped her lips as he put his arms around her torso. Roughly, he kicked off of the bottom of the underground stream bed, floundered upwards, and brought them to the surface. Supporting her with one arm, he paddled with the other with the other to bring them to the rocky shore on the opposite side of the cave.

He sucked in air violently as he pushed his ear just between her breasts. There was a heartbeat, but no sound of respiration. Immediately, he pinched her nose, tilted her head back, and blew two breaths into her mouth before before listening to her chest once again. "Breathe, Korra."

It took him several tries of repeating this action before he finally got a response. Her body shook and she coughed wildly. She turned over onto all fours as she hacked out the rest of the water that had drowned her. Mako sighed in relief, placing his hand on the small of he back. "Sit up slowly, okay? Don't get up yet."

"I know. I know," She retorted, though she flashed a smile at him. She rolled back over and propped herself up on her elbows. Korra was visibly dizzy and blood matted the hair on the side of her head. As a combination of water and blood slipped into her line of vision she touched the spot tenderly and flinched. "I got hit pretty hard, huh? Is everybody okay?"

"They should be. Bo, Pabu, Naga, and the ostrich horse got separated. And, there's no way back to Asami and Iroh. I don't think you should try bending right now, unless it's water to take care of your head," He told her, staring at the entirely enclosed ceiling. Mako produced a small flame from his thumb to hold in front of each of her eyes. Her eyes were dilated differently, and he frowned. "You have a concussion. Korra, could you tell me where we are?"

"A cave," She decided. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, they are," He appeased her. Amnesia was a common symptom of concussion, as he had learned from the many he and Bolin had received over the years. Mako shifted so that her head rested in his lap. "Don't fall asleep, okay? I know you're tired, but I need you to heal your head."

"Okay. I have a headache," She chattered, lifting her hand above her to pull water from the stream. Korra squinted up at him with blurry blue eyes. "What was I supposed to heal?"

"Your head." Mako placed his lips against her forehead as the Water Tribe native placed the glowing water against the side of her scalp. When the water ceased shining, he pulled his face away. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you, Mr. Hat Trick."

"Anytime, Mrs. Hat Trick." He peered up at the ceiling once more and shivered. Mako let out a heated breath to warm the air around them, and steam began to evaporate from their clothing. Glowing crystals, that he had not seen in the tunnel above, trailed a pathway down a stone corridor. "Those weren't up there."

Korra pursed her lips. They were absolutely beautiful, and they gave her a warm feeling in her chest. "Something tells me we're supposed to follow them."

"Why's that?"

"Just some sort of memory." She squinted at them before reaching up and pulling his face down to hers. The Avatar pushed her cheek against his, and her heart swelled at his compassionate act of valor. "Something about love will lead the way."

* * *

**Hope you loved it! Let me know please! Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Be prepared for insane amounts of fluff! After all, it is the cave of two lovers that they're trapped in! ;)**

**Dictionary:**

**governor-a device that keeps an engine from running too fast or too slow**

**a running governor-the governor isn't keeping the engine speed stable**

* * *

She searched desperately for openings amongst the rocks that had collapsed into the middle of the cave. In some areas she pulled back stones that were loose, only to lead to more compacted boulders and dirt. They were entirely closed off from the rest of their group. There was no possible way to break through the wall of stone separating them. Pulling away one more rock she called out. "Bolin, Korra, Mako! Are you guys okay? If you can hear me, please answer."

A warm hand gently grabbed hers and gave it a squeeze. She pursed her lips frustratedly. There was no way this separation was going to go to her head, they had been put in situations like these before. The young woman merely desired the satisfaction of knowing whether or not her companions were unharmed. Which, she was positive they were. None of them were alone, but they _were_ in the unfamiliar. Yet, for Asami and her friends, such a situation was a challenge and an adventure gladly accepted.

"I guess we'll have to find another way to meet them. In case of separation the rendezvous point was the front entrance, but obviously that's inaccessible. So it looks like we're going with Plan B-the tomb." The heiress huffed a sigh, as she glanced around the cave once more under the light of Iroh's fire. Their surroundings had been altered entirely by the centralized avalanche. There were no familiar exits and a new tunnel behind them had formed. She released Iroh's hand, undid her backpack, and knelt to the ground. Asami rummaged through the large flap in search for something. A confident grin spread across her face as she extracted notes she had jotted down from Kya's tale. Her green gaze ran across them and she frowned.

"What is it?" Iroh questioned with concern.

Kya had not revealed all the secrets of the cave to her. The most she had gotten out of the healer was that such a romantic story was true, it had something to do with the founding of Omashu, there was a historical tomb in the center, the incredibly dangerous cave was a labyrinth, and that _love would lead the way_. She had no idea how such a thing was possible, especially since she now knew that the tunnels could and would change. How was love supposed to lead the way in this dark, underground maze?

Her green gaze flickered up to the man with whom she had spent a great deal of time with over the past month. From the moment she had been acquainted with him and throughout past two years, they had come to know each other quite well as pleasant companions by friendly meetings and exchanged letters while he was at sea. But, over the course of time their affection had grown stronger, and how she had missed him those three last months that he had been sailing the world with his fleet. Through their letters, and the brief few weeks before his departure, a certain tenderness had developed that was only reserved for one another. When he had made a surprise appearance at the festival in the park, she had been absolutely thrilled, and ever since they had been practically inseparable.

But, now her skepticism reared its ugly head. Not only had she been hurt two years ago by her father-the one man in the world she should have been able to rely on for anything-and her ex-boyfriend-though their situation was peaceful and on very good terms-she could not trust the statement. How would love really lead the way anywhere? Sure, she _liked _Iroh and she cared about him very much, possibly even in a romantic way, but did she love him? Better yet, did he love her? And if either of them did have such feelings, did she trust him, or herself, enough to pursue anything. Asami bit back the bile of the irony of her thoughts. The statement was mocking her. _Let love lead the way._

How was that even possible?

* * *

"Ugh, my head." A gigantic, slobbery tongue swept up his neck and up the back of his, soaking his hair. He would have continued to rub his sore forehead, but he was simply too surprised by the polar dog's and fire ferret's animalistic attempts at kissed. He opened his eyes and blinked out into the pitch black. "Thank you guys, I app-OH, MY SPIRITS! I'm blind!"

He hopelessly waved his hand back and forth in front of his face and let out a series of exasperated noises. Sensing his master's distress, Pabu chattered in his fire ferret speech. Bolin audibly sighed, "Oh, thank goodness. You're right, Pabu. It's just dark in here because it's a cave. And underground. And it's dark. And with lots of tunnels. AND THERE'S WOLF BATS IN HERE! Naga!'

The polar bear dog padded in front of him so that he could reach inside of the sack attached to her saddle. Bolin stuck his tongue out in determination as he scrambled blindly through the bag. His fingers finally closed around something alluminum, long, and cylindrical. Rapidly he withdrew the object, flipped its switch, and waved it rapidly around his surroundings. Light beamed out of the flashlight and illuminated everything in its path through a cone shaped ray.

First, he noticed that there were absolutely no wolfbats to be found close by. The second thing that he noticed was that his surroundings had completely altered, cutting him off from any path that had been ahead, and he had no idea which direction his friends had disappeared. He called out as though he were making a cow pig call, "_Samiiiiii? _Maaaaaako? Kooooorra? Guys? Hello?"

Bolin sighed. And the third thing that he noticed was that he was the only human being in his group of four, and that he did not get along very well with one of its members. It wasn't that the ostrich horse was mean, they just had not developed an understanding for one another, and quite frankly they both considered each other stupid. Bolin groaned. "Ah! Why is it that I always end up in these situations?"

* * *

"They're beautiful." Korra and Mako had both been mesmerized by the light blue glow of the crystals for nearly half an hour as they followed them through the elaborate maze of tunnels, and it had done a pretty good job of distracting them from their current situation. They only illuminated a single path. There were no branches of light breaking off when they met a fork in the road. And while its glow almost seemed ominously mystical, it was warming, welcoming, and it brought them closer together.

"You're beautiful," Korra teased her husband with a mockingly seductive tone, throwing him a wink. The symptoms of her concussion had faded immensely over the past hour lost in the cave. For at least thirty minutes she and Mako had sat beside the stream as she had held some glowing healing water up against her head. Even past the point of being nearly fully recovered to the point of baby skin appearing over the gash on the side of her head and all results of a concussion fading, her husband had insisted that she take it easy for a little while.

He was still very concerned about her. Even if she had fully recovered physically, and seemingly emotionally since her miscarriage four weeks, every once in awhile he would catch her overly tired or slipping into bouts of depression. They would only last moments, and every day improved her outlook, but it took displays of his love and quite a lot, the air kids. So, the moisture in their clothes evaporating by steam, he had held her in his lap beneath the glow of the crystals. Lovingly, he pushed soft, butterfly kisses all over the side of her face, complimenting her on anything he could think of and verbally explaining how much he loved her. And, she did the same. Many of these types of moments consisted of humor and teasing, but truthfully there was a special place in their hearts for these moments that were spent sweetly. This type of moment that was gentle and loving was their favorite.

"Oh, shut up." His voice was filled with humor and he grinned deviously, playfully shoving her away.

"Are you blushing, angel-face? Ah, love-muffin, no need to be embarrassed. I mean we are married, button. Not to mention you're quite the stunner, sparkles." Korra was beginning to thoroughly enjoy the sensation of watching him squirm under her gaze. It was hard to keep a straight face as his face flushed darker and darker under the shine of the crystals. And the possibility that he was taking her seriously was absolutely delightful.

He wrapped his damp scarf tighter up around his neck and his eyes were opened wide in embarrassment. Mako muffled something inaudible into the cloth. "Shtup zat."

"What was that, sweet-cheeks?" She batted her eyelashes at him and wrapped her arms around his, hanging on him.

Mako tugged the scarf away from his mouth roughly and frowned, his cheeks still blistering hot. "I said, stop that."

"Stop what, kit kitten?"

His amber eyes eyes nearly popped out of his head at the mere term of endearment that should have been used solely for the feminine sex. Sure, every once in awhile they exchange loving nicknames for one another during times that they felt romantic enough to do so, but they always made sure that they were properly suited for their respective genders. "Stop using those names."

"Why?" She strained her voice to sound sickeningly innocent.

"It's emasculating! Humiliating!" He stammered, completely taken aback and unsettled. "Would you want me to call you beau, or bubby? Or _my-knight-in-shining-armor_?"

She quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully, testing his rhetorical pet name. He rolled his golden eyes as her tomboy side shown through. Of course she would be attracted to the thought of being the hero. Spontaneously, he stopped in his tracks, put one arm under the back of her knees and the other around her back, and scooped her into his arms. Mako picked her up so that their noses and foreheads were pushed together. Swishing his head from side to side, he gave her a flurry of eskimo kisses. "Because I would much rather use other nicknames for you. Like doll-face, or turtle duck, _or_ my forever girl."

* * *

"-And the engine speed keeps fluctuating because the governor keeps hunting, so my team and I may just need to start back from scratch and design an entirely new motor."

"Well, maybe you don't have to design an entirely new engine. Maybe you just need to make a few little adjustments. Is the governor overheating?"

"Yeah, but we've already tried altering the condensing cycle and the accelerated flow."

"Hmm," Iroh hummed thoughtfully, trying to conjure some sort of advice for Asami's newly created, faulty, yet brilliantly theorized engine that would be installed into a new model next year. While he was familiar with mechanics, he was not the genius in the field as Asami was. "Perhaps, we'll just have to take a look at it when we get back to Republic City?"

"The sooner we get on that, the better. It could take a month to perfect it, generously speaking." She decided, flashing him a million yuan smile.

"I completely agree. After all, if you want my help, it has to be over the next couple of months." He reminded her gently.

She smirked at him curiously. "Why not after that? Not that I think it should take that long to adjust the blueprints anyways."

He scratched behind his head, thankful that he was not required to continuously use his palm as a torch, as Asami had found a flash light in his backpack. "Well, you know, my schedule. Three months on, three months off. I'll be at sea then."

Her face fell in disappointment. She had grown quite accustomed, once again, to his company. And, the rediscovery that his stay in Republic City would never be permanent was a bit saddening, even if he would not be leaving for two more months. Asami tried not to let it be heard too much in her voice though as she said, "Oh, that's right!"

Iroh was definitely not one to pick up subtle hints, but like most men, he heard what she had said, not how she said it. And, over the years he gotten quite good at reading a facial expression. He paused in his tracks, looking at her through golden eyes, beneath his dark lashes. "Asami?"

Asami turned, she tugged tighter at edge of his coat that he had given her when he had seen her shivering. But now, it was not just the coldness of the cave, but the intensity of his stare and the proximity of his body to hers. She raised her eyebrows curiously as he reached, with both hands behind the scuff of his collar. He fidgeted with something behind his for a moment before pulling a chain up and over his head. The rest of the neckpiece shortly followed to reveal a long necklace with two monkey dog tags hanging at the end. Self-assured he extended his arms out over her head and around her neck so that his military identification tags, a soldier's final resort, rested against her chest.

He ran his fingers down the chain and gripped the metal pendants hanging at the end. They lie flat on his palm between them and he explained. "I want you to have this. So that other gentlemen won't run after you while I'm gone. And, so that you'll think of me when I'm away. They'll issue me a new one when I leave, but I would like you to keep this one."

"Thank you, Iroh." She stared at them in surprise, and her voice was soft as she whispered her gratitude. Her cheeks turned a tad pink at the gesture, and she took the aluminum identification tags from his palm. Asami stared at the calligraphic symbols etched into it and gave a slight smile. It gave his citizenship, position, blood type, title, and name.

'陸軍聯合共和國

他的王子殿下艾洛

火國家國籍

血液型歐米茄'

His cheeks turned pink in return and he shuffled his feet closer so that they were standing mere inches apart, their breaths collided with one another's. He took her hands in his. "I was hoping that if you were to accept it, you would like to start going steady?"

"Is that a question?" She quirked her eyebrows mischievously.

Iroh cleared his throat in an attempt to restart. "Asami, we've been good friends for over two years now, and for awhile we've been dating, and I wanted you to...if you...ask you...I want-"

They exchanged embarrassed looks before he took a deep breath. He released her hands and grasped her shoulders. "Asami, I love you."

Her jaw fell slightly ajar, she dragged one foot backwards, and her grip slackened on the flashlight to the point that it completely slipped out of her fingers and fell to the ground with a large clank. She was shocked. It was not that did not want to believe him, she absolutely did, but the scars on her heart threw up a wall the size of the outermost rim of Ba Sing Se. She just couldn't break them down. The only word she could manage to choke out was his name.

"I know that that probably came on a bit suddenly, but I do mean it." As a typical macho man, he had no interest in allowing himself to feel like a nervous wreck, even if he was on the verge of sweating bullets. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest to the point that he believed she could hear it, and a tight ball of anxiety was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. The great General's voice was urgent, "You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. You're brilliant, sophisticated, unbelievably kind, you've got just the right amount of temper, you correct me when I'm wrong and I only want to improve for you, our senses of humor work together, our values are similar, and even when we argue I still completely adore you. I can only hope that you just might feel the same way about me."

Asami's beautiful make-up-less face transformed from surprised to blank disheartened. Her sad green eyes focused on the dark, dirt floor. Her heart gave a pang of disbelief, and she shook her head from side to side. No matter how much she wished that she could allow Iroh into a such an esteemed position in her heart, but her trust was spread to thin. She trusted him as a friend, probably even a little bit more than that. But, in all honesty, she couldn't open herself up for disappointment again. Even if at times it could be strange, she had developed a brother-sister relationship with Mako, and she had not seen her father since the day he had been arrested, he still had not gone to trial. Thus far, she had fallen into a sort of bliss in Iroh's company, but much to her discouragement, she had consciously reminded herself not to open herself up too much. But, she had. She had absolutely made him her confidant, partner in crime, teammate, and the person she entirely opened up to.

"Iroh, I just can't...I...I want to but I-" She broke off, not once meeting his golden gaze.

"But, what, Asami?" He pleaded. When she didn't respond, he picked her chin up so that he could see her spectacular green eyes. "I know you've been hurt in the past, and I'm so sorry. I know that telling you that I'll never do that and that I'd rather jump in front of a train first is useless, even if it's true. So, I'll promise that to myself. I'll be there for you, just give me the chance to prove it to you. Even if you may not love me back right now, please give me the opportunity to change your mind, because I see you in my life forever."

The beautiful heiress grasped the hand under her chin, and held it close to her collar bone. "Iroh I ju-"

She never got to finish that sentence. In fact, she never even remembered what she had planned to say. Her mind was too fogged over. At first she was stunned, and her eyes grew wide, but inhaling the warm, tea scent of his body against hers, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips were soft and tender against her own, and their was no way to describe their first shared kiss as anything less than perfection. Their lips moved in sync with one another, and she allowed herself to feel safe with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

And, as Asami finally allowed herself to succumb to the man she adored beyond all reason, the blue glow of the crystals above illuminated a pathway for them to follow in the once dark cavern.

* * *

Naga's growl made him jump and Pabu and the ostrich horse cowered behind him. He shined the flash light in the direction that Naga had begun to stalk. Her pelt bristled, and the earthbender knew exactly why. Seven wolf bats had found the intruders in their home. The large, mean creatures snarled at them, and one crouched down, ready to pounce. Bolin, though frightened by the vicious beast at first, picked up his fists and rocks flew to the ready. As soon as the beast leaped at him, jaws snapping, Bolin gave him a one two combination and it yelped. The rest of the pack leapt at them in an angry attempt to attack them. But, as soon as Naga grabbed one in her jaws and tossed it backwards down the cave, and the ostrich horse gave one a mean peck, the wolf bats retreated, yipping as Bolin's rocks blew past them.

The earthbender cheered, "Yeah! That's right! Who else wants to challenge the Bolin, Naga, Pabu, and ostrich horse?"

An unfamiliar, animalistic grumble sounded behind him, and he soon came face to face with two, giant badger moles. He squealed with the same sort of reaction the wolf bats had when they had come across his group. "Umm...hello, badger moles, sirs or ma'ams. Uh, I'm an earthbender like you."

As he moved the ground beneath his feet, he remembered that they did not _see_ the same way he did. When they growled once more Naga stepped forward. She growled and the fur on her neck bristled, but as she sniffed the air she gave them a friendly whimper. The polar bear dog, padding towards them, clearly no longer considered them a threat. She cocked her head at Bolin, who hesitantly joined her with Pabu. When she made a gesture towards the sack attached to her saddle, he looked shocked that she would suggest that he share any of his food. He whined, "Aw, Naga!"

Immediately she gave him the polar bear dog equivalent to a glare, and he shuffled through the sack to withdraw two papayas. The badger moles sniffed the air and eagerly accepted the treat. Bolin soon felt the slobbery wetness of a huge tongue run up the backside of his head. He blinked, and then smiled at the closest badger mole, returning the gesture by scratching its head. Enthusiastically, the badger mole rolled over so that its soft underside was exposed. Bolin scratched the large creature's belly, and the other quickly became jealous for the attention. "Aw, you're just big fuzzy-wuzzies!"

* * *

"Whoa! I wish Asami was here to see this!" Korra's voice resonated from down the hallway. "It's amazing...and kinda creepy."

"See what?" The other girl asked curiously as she appeared at the entrance of the tomb, clutching the Fire Nation prince's hand tightly. "I'm so glad you guys are okay!"

Korra's eyes sparked with delight at the relieving sight of her friends. She leapt at Asami, hugging her tightly and then did the same with Iroh, Mako following suit. "How did you find us?"

"I could hear you," Asami answered, smirking at her. She then pointed to the tunnel just outside the tomb, with a sea of crystals illuminating a pathway. "_And_, we've been following these crystals, hoping-or trusting rather-that they'll lead us out of here."

"That's what we've been doing," Mako responded honestly. "Have you guys seen Bo and Pabu?"

"Or Naga?" Korra asked hopefully, even though she all ready knew the answer, and the couple shook their heads.

The Avatar shrugged as though the answer to the previously unspoken question was obvious. "Now, I don't know what makes them glow based off of _feelings_, but Kya did say that love will lead the way through here. However, my friend, wait 'til you get a load of this. You'll have to put your cheaters back in your head. I mean really, it's the butter bee's knees."

""Til I get a load of what?" Asami questioned as the other girl, a flame in her palm for torchlight, led them down a flight of stair case. The heiress immediately knew that such a thing was certainly not naturally present in a cave, and her curiosity overwhelmed her. Mako and Iroh followed closely behind them, and the older of the two flicked on a flashlight so that he could see where his feet were headed.

When they came to a stop, Korra released Asami and lit the flame in her palm with a great intensity of fire to cast light on all of their surroundings. On a large, circular resting stone before them were two sarcophagi, one man and one woman. But, just behind them was a giant statue of two lovers kissing with a cartouche in between them.

"Love is brightest in the dark." Asami let out a surprised breath as she read the inscription. "This is it! That's them! They're the legend!"

"Look at this," Mako told them, pointing at at the resting stone.

The two young women followed his gaze to see images inscribed along the stone, telling their story. Oma and Shu were from warring villages, and one day they met atop the mountain. They knew that any future meeting between them was forbidden, but their love for one another was boundless. So, in secret, they met in a cave beneath the mountain separating their villages where they met two badger moles. After proving their worth to these ancient creatures, the two lovers began to study their movements and eventually became the first earthbenders. With their earthbending, they created a labyrinth in the caves so that they could not be followed. Each day they met their in secret, but one day the man did not come. The woman listened frantically for news of beloved from the warriors of her village, and she quickly discovered that he had been killed in battle. Grief-stricken, Oma used a powerful display of her earthbending that could have very easily destroyed both villages. But, instead she spared them, declaring the end of the war. With her earthbending she created a new city for both villages to live in peacefully. And, with respect for her and her lost lover, the villagers named the new city Omashu. Upon her death many years later, she was put to rest beside her lover deep inside the cave of two lovers.

"That's so sad, honorable, but still sad," Asami said, and almost instantly a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, followed by a kiss to the temple.

"No. Way." An overly familiar voice sounded from behind them all. The group below below looked up behind them to see Bolin staring at them.

"Bolin!" They all cheered in sync.

"How did you find us?" Asami asked.

At first he still seemed a bit shocked to see them, but eventually he shrugged and pointed over his shoulder. "A couple of friendly badger moles. You wanna meet 'em?"

"Do I!" Korra shouted excitedly, and immediately made a sprint up the stairs. Unfamiliar, large, dangerous animals were sort of her cup of tea. In fact, that was how she had come to own Naga.

Mako noticed his brother still staring down at them, towards what he thought was the two sarcophagi, and perhaps the statue. "Incredible, huh, Bo?"

"No." When he received several doubtful looks, Bolin drew his hand up close to his face and pointed his fingers directly at Asami and Iroh. With a strange facial expression, he explained. "Oh, yeah, I mean it's super cool and all, but I was talking about _them."_

* * *

**Daww! Wasn't that sweet? They found each other! Just so we're all clear, traditionally-especially back in war time like WW1 and WW2-when a soldier gives a girl his dog tags it basically says, "Hey, I love you lots and I plan on coming back to you, I won't be needing it out there. _And_most importantly, think of this as a promise ring. I definitely plan on marrying you." The reason there are two dog tags is one is on the necklace, and the other is tucked away somewhere on the body; like in a boot; when going in to battle. The reason being, is if the body is blown up, there is still a chance of identifing the pieces. When you die, and the body is not retrivable, the dogtags will be colected as proof of death.****Dog Tags are collected collected from the dead, one is kept on the soldier for burial while the other copy is sent back home to loved ones. So, _clearly_ Iroh has no plans of dying during his next tour of duty.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Back in the 1920's 5 dollars would translate to todays equivalent of $62.20. So, earlier in the story when Mako made a bet of 50 yuans with Bolin about who would win, it was actually like they were betting $622. Just keep that translation in mind for future money (Or actually, YUAN) transactions.**

**Have some 1920's slang:**

**high-hatted- snobbish**

**hood-hoodlum**

**hooey-bullshit, nonsense**

**go chase yourself- beat it**

**holding a torch- a crush**

**screwy-crazy**

**bearcat-a hot tempered woman**

**And How about some Triad Chain of Command and terms:**

**Mountain Master-also known as the dragon head, the leader of organized crime**

**Deputy Mountain Master-the mountain master's proxy**

**Incense Master-oversees inductions and initiation, same level as Deputy **

**Vanguard-same level as and assist the Incense Master (probably Shady Shin)**

**Red Poles-beneath Deputy, oversees offensive & defensive ops (same as Capo)**

**White Paper Fans-same level as Red Pole, advises leader on finances & business**

**Straw Sandals-same level as Red Pole, liaison between different units**

**49ers-soldier, initiated average member**

**Blue Lanterns-associates, not official members**

**Informants-undercover spies**

**Fix-A situation in which law enforcement has been paid to allow criminal activity**

**Mark-A person or place targeted for criminal activity.**

**Big-earners- bring in a lot of money for the "family"**

**Burn- kill off**

**Mark- a designated spot to hit for crime**

**Crew- a group of 49eers headed by a Red Pole**

**Junk- drugs**

**Case- scope out a potential crime location**

* * *

"Did you want to see me, Chief?" Mako asked as the majority of the officers filed out of that afternoon's briefing. It was his first day back since his trip to the Cave of Two Lovers and Omashu, and the moment before the meeting began Chief Beifong had pegged him with a stern leer. It did not appear any different than the typical expression she wore, but Mako knew her on a more personal level than the rest of the younger officers. And, something about it made it clear that she had more than her two copper pieces to share with him.

She didn't look at him when he first approached, too busy fumbling through her paperwork on the podium. Lin Beifong raised an eyebrow, finding the paper she was looking for and removing it from the stack. "No, not unless you wanted to explain why Saikhan got a call day before yesterday from Omashu's police captain regarding a certain young officer with a disregard for the rules. You know what I'm talking about, Mako."

Mako looked down at his feet, before grinning at her sheepishly. While in Omashu, he and his friends had managed to sneak onto two separate mail carts with the animals outside the city wall, one earthbender in each, to race down the gigantic post slides. The race had been competitive and wild, with Korra prohibited from using the Avatar State. Along their way, they had propelled themselves from ramp to ramp to avoid hitting other mail. Iroh, Asami, and Korra had made it to the bottom first, and had run directly out of the gates and away from awaiting security. Somehow, they had managed to escape, but the fabulous bending brothers had not been so lucky. Bolin and Mako had not intention of fighting the police, after all, they were the good guys. But, if it wasn't for Mako talking their way out of it, the two most likely would have received quite the fine.

"Next time," She said with a mischievous smile, "Don't get caught."

"Yes, ma'am," Mako answered with relief.

He jumped though when her tone turned harsh and she made a sweeping motion with her hand. "But, if you do, don't ever use your position in my city as a cop out again!"

"Of course, ma'am!" He now stood up straight, not daring to make eye contact with her.

"I hope you enjoy cleaning on your breaks. I expect my station lobby to be spotless by the end of the week." She pursed her lips and handed him a folder. Her hand still keeping it shut, she said, "Have you thought about pursuing any investigator work? Going under cover? I know a lot of kids your age would want to, especially with that new radio show on, but I'm not talking about being a spirit, Mako. I mean digging out information on the inside, really gaining the trust of criminals."

"No, I hadn't really ever thought about it. I mean, Korra and I used to do reconnaissance during the equalist uprising, and it was always...dangerous, but exhilarating. I didn't ever really plan on making a career out of it though."

"Well, I want you to start thinking about it now," The middle aged woman told him, allowing him to open the manilla folder. Inside were black and white photographs of notorious gang bangers and unknown criminals alike. The first few were pictures of the Agni Kai Triad 49ers driving through Dragon Flats Borough and into downtown. One picture in the middle was of a man that had been thought to had been involved with equalist uprisings, and now behaved suspiciously. The next couple were of verbal confrontations between the Red Monsoons and the Triple Threats. Sympathetically, Lin said, "I know you have friends in the Triple Threats, but your companionship with them can't come before the law. You knew that signing on, and so do they. If you nab one in a act of crime, you know you have to bring them in? That goes for everyone, though, kid...even family."

"I know," He breathed. It didn't dishearten him in any way. Mako simply hoped that he would never have to witness Shady Shin or someone like him committing anything but a misdemeanor like a parking violation. The firebender knew whole-heartedly that Shin was a dangerous gangster, a criminal, but he and Bolin had formed a real friendship with him and his heart did not want to bring any friend in to serve time in prison. But, Mako was not a feeler, he was practical and calculating. In every situation, particularly under pressure, he was a voice of reason. It was that quality that had made him so efficient in undercover work with his wife, and quite possibly the reason Lin wanted him to consider it as a career. "I made the oath, Chief."

His attention returned to the pictures in his grasp. It was the last one that caught his eye. In front of Kuang's Cuisine were parked two cars awaiting valet service. The black roadsters with the golden decorative striping were unmistakably the satomobiles solely driven by the Agni Kai Triad. Escorted by a number of high-ranking members of the Agni Kais was their Mountain Master, 'Two-Face' Tai Yang, a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, and well-dressed sixty-year-old. But, it was the man that had gotten out of the other car, the man that was shaking Two-Face's hand, that had grasped his attention. The cruel amber eyes had haunted him for twelve years.

"Anything look familiar?"

"No, Chief," He lied.

"I'm letting you look at these a bit more closely, not because I want you to go hunting them. I've got a team on that. But, I want you to be aware of recent activity in case you come across them. I only feel that it's right to give you, of all my officers, a fair warning. So don't lie to me, Mako. Remember, I can feel the vibrations in the ground."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now scram."

* * *

"All right, Mako, I'll make you a bet with you." Kuro, the blue eyed officer of Water Tribe descent that had befriended Mako during their time in the Academy told him. They leaned on the handle bars of their motorcycles in the early evening before the rush hour traffic, tucked away beneath the exit of Silk Road bridge near downtown. The two had been assigned to traffic patrol in this zone for the past three weeks, and any officer with at least a few months of experience knew that the highest amount of traffic violations at this time occurred in this general area.

Mako peered at him skeptically, pushing his street bike goggles up to his hairline. He raised a hooked eyebrow at his friend. Out of boredom during the low activity time zone they had struck up a conversation about the coming fridays probending championship. Once again the Wolf Bats had made it through to the final round of the year, and surprisingly so had the Fire Ferrets with Bolin leading his team. The new waterbender was better at being a nice person than an extremely talented bender. But, it was they could pull off so late in the season, considering Korra's original substitute had moved to the North Pole to be with her family. So, to make up for the large girl's lack of bending talent, Bolin and Tamal had pulled up the slack.

"So, you said that this character Ver-Vic-Vir?" Kuro snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name Mako had told him.

"Verick," Mako reminded him. Verick, a wealthy Southern Water Tribe native, a well-known playboy, and good friend of Bolin's had taken a ship up to Republic City that week to see his friend compete in the championship.

"That's the one!" He pointed at him enthusiastically. "You said he paid the refs twice what the Wolf Bats did for an actual fair game, so the Fire Ferrets have a definite chance at the championship. A pretty high one if you ask me. Now, I understand you feeling that your little brother is going to be the one to victory, and I do agree that the kid is talented! But, I have a feeling that if anyone from the Fire Ferrets is going to be leading that team, it'll be Tamal."

Mako snorted, but not only due to the irony that though they were police officers, they have no problem with the _right _kind of bribery. He still did not appreciate Tamal's presence-existence actually-even though his brother seemed to get along with him outside of the ring and for the most part, inside the ring as well. Both Korra and Asami had gotten past his prejudice as well even laughing and sharing details about themselves like old friends would. Though they did not unreasonably despise him like Mako, and sometimes even liked him, he knew Asami did not trust him entirely, especially because of his persistent advances on her. However, he figured, maybe it was because after her father she had thrown up a wall around herself when it came to strange men on a level any deeper than acquaintance. Regardless of what they thought, Mako still considered him to be nothing more than a baby-faced, attention-seeking womanizer with a privatized poor temper, but a well shown false sense of charm and a smooth way with words. "Yeah, right. He's nothing but a high-hatted, narcissistic hood."

"Hooey! The guy's great! Seems like a nice kid too."

"Oh, go chase yourself, Kuro," Mako huffed with partial good humor. "You don't know him personally. If you asked me, it seems like you may even be holding a torch for him."

"You're real screwy, Mako." Kuro rolled his eyes and adjusted his goggles as the first cars began to exit the bridge. "_Anyways_ I was going to make a bet of say, ten yuans, with you. Just don't let the bearcat know. If there is one, Tamal will be the one to score the knockout."

"You're on!" Mako shook his hand as he too fixed his goggles and helmet. "Bolin could kick his sorry ass, and I'm usually the one that has to make sure the _bearcat_ doesn't spend too much money."

Within the next ten minutes, Mako and Kuro had pulled over at least four Satomobiles and a Cabbage Car for three different reasons, giving both warnings and tickets. Automobile after automobile eventually became a blur, and it was made difficult to nab someone who had slammed on their brakes a ways back after seeing the police officers, and eventually things began to calm down. However, one sleek, black, convertible Satomobile with maroon tinting caught his eye as it passed. Smirking, he nudged Kuro. "Follow my lead."

"I don't think they broke any law."

"I know, just come on." Mako kicked the gear shift of his motorcycle, and sped after the car sounding his siren. He slowed once he was merely a few yards behind it, Kuro on his right, signaling for the driver to pull over. Not bothering to take off his head gear, he watched the rather flustered young woman in the front seat park and put her hands on the steering wheel. She had not looked at directly him once as he and Kuro approached her.

Mako, motioned for his companion to give her directions as she would not recognize his voice. Kuro instructed, "May I see your license and registration please, Miss?"

"I'm terribly sorry officer, but I'm not sure what I did exactly," She began as she rummaged through the glovebox on the passenger side. "I've never been pulled over before you know? I have an excellent driving record."

"Well, I'm sorry to say that you failed to yield back at the merger." Mako finally spoke, trying to keep a straight face.

Her raven hair whipped around faster than anything he had ever seen move as she turned her head to stare up at him. Her piercing green eyes bore furiously into his goggles upon recognition of his voice and jawline. "Mako!"

"Hey, Asami," He responded. Pushing his goggles back up to the top of his forehead and leaning on her door with his forearms.

"Oh, you're so funny," She muttered sarcastically, cutting her eyes. "Next time you try to develop a sense of humor, at least make it worthwhile."

"Ah, come on! It was pretty funny. And what's wrong with simply saying hi?"

She muttered flatly under her breath about being late before nodding just over his shoulder.

Before he could respond about her being late, he remembered his companion. Mako turned and motioned back to the handsome, tan, young officer beside him. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Kuro, meet Miss Asami Sato. Asami, meet Officer Kuro."

"Pleasure," Asami answered, giving him a genuine smile.

"Very nice to meet you, Miss Sato," He tipped his cap at her politely. His gigantic grin was almost a dead give away as to just how much he had noticed Asami's attractiveness. But, thankfully, Kuro was a gentleman. "With all due respect, Miss Sato, if you don't mind me asking, how did a pretty thing like you come to know this character?"

Asami laughed as the police officer gestured to the firebender who rolled his amber eyes. She gave him a shortened version of the truth. "Oh, we're just old friends. He's like my brother."

"No kidding." He turned to Mako. "You never told me that you know _the_ Miss Asami Sato."

"Sure I have," The black haired man shrugged and looked at Asami. "I talk about you, Bolin, Korra, and the _family_ all the time."

"I think your view of _all the time _is a bit skewed, Mako." Kuro chortled, referring to the firebender's typical stoic persona. "So you are _the_ Asami Sato, owner and CEO of the New Future Industries?"

It never would have bothered her before. The question had been asked so many times that she just humbly agreed. But, it was a surname that she shared with the man that had tried to kill her. She was proud of who she was and her name was a part of that, just she had to remind herself sometimes. Asami smiled modestly, "That's right."

"Wow, I'm impress-"

"Excuse me," She put up her hand and turned up the tune on her radio in the car. Mako looked at her quizzically, but his unspoken question was quickly answered.

Coming over the speaker was the voice of Shiro Shinobi announcing important daily news. "This just in. Our sources have just confirmed that well known equalist conspirator, sympathizer, and aide, Hiroshi Sato is after long last scheduled for trial for charges of disturbing the peace, aiding and abetting, aggravated assault, arson conspiracy, hate crimes, domestic violence, murder in the second degree, and attempted murder in the first degree. The trial is set to take place just after the start of the new year. We will keep you posted on a specific date, Republic City. For now, we will answer the many questions that thousands of citizens have been dying to know. Now what exactly took so long for this trial to scheduled?"

Another voice came over the radio. "Well, for starters there were quite a few other equalists, and other criminals alike to get through before starting trials for any key player in this dangerous movement. Secondly, Hiroshi Sato was a very powerful man. His company funds were frozen for so long because his lawyer went to battle the courts for it, but eventually it was ruled that Hiroshi Sato was in no way going to ever see a single copper piece of Future Industries ever again. This left his only heir to take over. Asami Sato, only eighteen at the time was very wise in all of her decisions in allowing the struggling company to be dissolved, and starting up her own New Future Industries-."

She turned the radio off and slumped back against her seat, her lips pursed thoughtfully. She would be called to testify against him, the last person she ever wanted to see again. She huffed a sigh of irritation, and a hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey," Mako offered. "That's over a month away. Don't sweat it."

"I'm not going to," She retorted sharply.

"Okay, good. Where are you headed? The arena to monitor pre game practice? I would offer to drive you, but I'm on a bike and I don't think you want to leave the car. You want an escort so you don't get pulled over again?"

She smiled at her friend, "No, I'm okay. Thanks though."

* * *

Bolin had made sure that his team had practiced every possible day leading up to the championship for as long as possible, without over exhausting themselves. In two days, he desired to be the leader of the new reigning probending team, and this was the final practice to prepare him and his teammates. But, at times it was difficult to instruct one person that had yet to become a master waterbender and another that, though enjoyable as company, wished for every play to revolve around him. So, for the past week, he had asked Asami, a true probending devotee to be his support and aide during practice.

This practice had passed a bit more smoothly than others. The female waterbender, who had been knocked out of the ring in the last few games of the tournament, had finally come to grasp two offensive and two defensive plays. Tamal, had cooperated for the captain, even going so far as to let him correct the waterbender for her mistakes without offering his own input.

"All right, guys, team huddle!" Bolin said, taking off his practice helmet. Tamal and the waterbender followed suit and put their arms around each other. Asami lingered nonchalantly at the edge of the gym listening to the radio and scratching Pabu behind the ears. "We've come a long way this year, and definitely not without a few surprises. But, you know what? We've totally got this! Let's just do our best tomorrow and go out with a bang! Fire Ferrets on three. One, two, three!"

"Fire Ferrets!" They all chanted excitedly, signaling the end of practice.

"Hey, Asami!" Bolin called. "Any word on Verick?

"Who's Verick?" Tamal asked curiously as he walked to retrieve his bag from beneath the table Pabu was on top of. His black hair hanging in his eyes from a hard practice, but his mesmerizing amber eyes shone clearly through.

"A friend of ours from the South Pole," Bolin told him.

"A really nice sleaze," Asami said with a giggle and Tamal laughed.

"Ah, he's not that bad."

"He's a total Casanova, Bolin," She disagreed. "I totally like the guy for all of his other qualities, but you know how he is."

"He doesn't sound very gentlemanly," Tamal added.

"He's a great guy! A bit spoiled, but he's helping us out with making sure the judges don't make any bad calls like they always do when the Wolf Bats are in the finals." Asami corrected his interpretation of their friend's character. "Just be sure not to introduce him to a sister, female relative, or girlfriend because he'll hit on them until they finally make it clear that they aren't interested. Sort of like you."

The firebender chuckled, though for a millisecond his displeasure for Asami's joke was evident on his face. But, he shook it off his handsome face almost instantly, "If I had any of those I'd be sure to do that."

"Woah, wait," Bolin said. "What happened to you and that one girl you've been talking about?"

Tamal's cheeks turned red and he stuttered embarrassedly. He scratched behind his head nervously, his gaze flickering between their expecting faces. "We aren't together."

"What?" Bolin was astonished. "Why not?"

"I haven't asked her," The firebender announced like it was obvious. "I plan to though, but enough about my love life. Let's all go get a cup of tea. My treat."

* * *

A giant wad of yuans landed on the desk with a loud thud, making the man behind the table look up over the newspaper he was reading. Reclined in his chair, feet on the desk, he took the kiseru he was smoking out of his mouth. He grinned up at the man before him. "So you got some good action today?"

"Of course, it's my first day back out in the field." The man sat down in the chair opposite the White Paper Fan that acted as the triad's accountant. "We had to fix a situation though, cause a fed was wandering around where we had marked."

"Two-face should be happy with the amount of dough you brought in today. Just try not make anything messy again like last time." The triad's accountant told him. "We can't afford you lying low anymore. Even if you are a petty thief, you're one of our big-earners."

"A petty thief?" He sounded offended. "I'm so much more than that."

"Yeah," The White Paper Fan said sarcastically. "A murderer."

The Red Pole lifted his hands in self-defense. "I've burned only a few people in the past."

"Literally," The other man huffed as a small flame came out of the thief's hand. "But, last time you almost got caught. _And_ for nearly bumping off a family again."

"Next time I won't get caught." He reached across the desk for the kiseru and puffed a smoke with a grin.

"You're sick," The accountant retorted with a half laugh. "Careful where you leave tracks."

The door behind the Red Pole opened once again, letting in the noise of rowdy crowd in the casino that fronted as one of the Agni Kai's rackets. Another Red Pole walked in and handed the White Paper Fan another wad of yuans, clapped a hand on the first first Red Pole's shoulder and took a seat beside him. The Red Pole with the _borrowed_ kiseru said grinned. "You had a good run today too, Crackles?"

"Oh, yeah. My crew delivered a bunch of junk today, and we cased a spot for some big business. We're gonna need your help with it, Sizzler. It's huge, we're gonna need security, and be packing heavy. My crew and I were planning on hitting it Saturday night" Crackles said enthusiastically.

"Where's that?" The White Paper Fan asked and Sizzler looked on with interest.

"Boss's orders," He said with a nod. "New Future Industries."

* * *

Her scream pierced the night as she flung herself into a sitting position. Her breath came in shaking rasps as she tried to slow her heart rate. Her wide, sapphire eyes slowly returned to a normal position as her fight or flight response began to slacken. Her chocolate bangs swished back and forth in front of her eyes, and her hands trembled in her lap that was buried by her bed sheet.

Perhaps, if her husband had been home, she would have simply nuzzled back against him and fallen asleep. He was such a light sleeper that she probably would have been woken up at the beginning of her nightmare, which was evident by the thrashing and shouting in her sleep, instead of by it's horrific end. In his arms, it was always easy to make the bad things in life go away. His heartbeat reverberating in his strong chest against her eardrums would always play a steady, comforting beat to lull her into sleep, and his lips be permanently placed against her forehead. But, he was gone. He had left at three the previous afternoon, he would get off of his shift at one in the morning, and most likely not be home until thirty after the hour. It was this shift that she hated him taking the most, regardless of whether or not he was required to work it every once in a while. Half of her day he was absent, and the night should have been specially reserved for them. And, without his presence her nightmare lingered in her mind a bit longer than it should have.

Vivid, recent memories of her night terrors haunted her, and for a moment she almost wondered if she was being ridiculous. Sure, the beginning, which consisted of Hiroshi Sato breaking out prison and trying to start a new equalist movement with leechi nuts as his first recruits, did seem a bit farfetched. But, as soon as Hiroshi's leechi nuts had turned to real, human, bloodthirsty equalists, her dream had take a turn for the worst. With his army of, once leechi nuts, now ravenous murderers, and his terrifying inventions, Hiroshi Sato had taken complete control of Republic City, and was working on destroying benders of the rest of the world. He murdered bender after bender right before her eyes, and eventually took the life of her family and friends one by one, even his own daughter. And, with his new inventions, he had stolen the bending of others, including her own. This time, it was permanent, no Avatar power could fix what had been taken away. But, just before he stole Mako's life, they were all drawn back to her meeting Amon on Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

Hiroshi Sato was gone, but Mako was there, held down by violent equalists that had battered him black and blue. Her heart ached as she looked at him in the darkened room with the knowledge that she could not save him from such things. She herself, just like in her memories, was tied down, and an ominous white and red mask appeared from the blackness. His hand reached towards her and cupped her face, jerking her chin up to look at him. Yet, this time, in this new, sick version her dreams had procured, he did not knock her unconscious. This time he humiliated her, weak, bendingless, and helpless, with her beloved watching on. A small, crying bundle tucked into one of his arms stopped crying the moment the blanket unfolded to reveal a pool of oozing blood. In this subconscious world, it was not Mako that was her loving first, but this cruel, masked man that stole the opportunity away from them. Unlike her husband, he was violent and hateful, and the whole time she wished she could wake up.

Even though she could not feel any physical or spiritual pain in the waking world, her emotions were still bothered. All of the wrong things actually went wrong, and she had a hard time shaking it. Calmly, she reminded herself that none of that was reality, and that all of what it had been based on was in the past. For whatever reason, Mako's temporary absence from their shared bed made her night terror that much more realistic.

A large, soft tongue ran the length of her upper arm, and she smiled at her polar bear dog. Naga had always been one to sleep near her master, except for the moments Korra needed privacy with Mako, and now the big, white, pet laid at the side of Korra's bed. Her own giant, pet bed beneath her as she put her head in the young Avatar's lap. Korra hugged the huge head tightly, planting a kiss just above and between her loving, brown eyes. "Thank you, girl. It was just a nightmare."

* * *

**Time line refresher!**

**Mid August/Middle of the 8th Month-Korra and Mako Marry**

**Beginning of October/10th Month-Visit to Auntie Meng, Korra Miscarries, Irohsami Debuts, Typhoon hits**

**Beginning of November/1st week of 11th Month- Visit to Cave of Two Lovers**

**2nd Week of 11th Month-Chief Beifong Chats w/ Mako**

**3rd Week of 11th month-Everything else in this Chapter**

**Well, I hope you guys liked it, and PAID ATTENTION! A lot of shit is gonna come of this chapter! Pardon my French! All of the reviews you guys have given are amazing and helpful. I take into account each one. So, I hope that you guys will let me know your thoughts on this chapter and your predictions of what is to come! Do you guys find my translators helpful for interpreting 1920's slang and Mafia terms? Please, review! Much love to all you faithful readers! You guys are awesome, and I'm excited to give you the next couple of chapters! They are going to be a bit intense! **


	15. Chapter 15

**BE PREPARED for IIIIINNNNNSSSAAANNNNEEEE AMOUNTS OF MAKORRA FLUFF! With A SIDE DISH of IROSAMI! I couldn't help it! I needed the over 16 friendly content *Creeper face* Enjoy ;)**

**Another Translation Specially made for you! :)  
**

**Chasing Skirts- Womanizing**

**Hotsy - Totsy - Pleasing**

**Peelers- Strippers**

**Giggle Water - An intoxicating beverage; alcohol**

**Tanked-Drunk**

**Pro skirt-Prostitute**

**blowout-a wild party**

* * *

"Don't wake me up," She complained groggily as he pushed his lips against her shoulder blade.

She heard him chuckle against her skin, and he trailed his kisses up to her neck and behind her ear. He propped himself up with one hand to gaze down at the side of her flawless face. The firebender ran his fingers through her long, chocolate hair and she sighed contentedly. Mako absolutely loved her hair down, and he knew that Korra loved the feeling of his fingers running through it. He kissed her cheek once and hovered just above her face. Hushed, he whispered, "Okay."

"Come on, girl," Mako murmured to the Polar Bear Dog that was now awake on the floor beside Korra. He rubbed his wife's arm tenderly. "I'll be right back."

The first time he had met Naga, he was unsure as to how such a pet could possibly thrive in a city. But, it turned out to be fairly simple. He led the large, white canine through their flat and into the kitchen. He opened the ice box and pulled out the tin metal container of raw tiger seal, placing a good amount in her bowl for breakfast. Next, he walked through the parlor, sleepily rubbing his eyes, and opened the window that led to the fire escape. The first, pink signs of dawn had just begun to appear over the city skyline and illuminated the clouds above. Mako sighed, glad that such a beautiful day was the start of their weekend. The sound of early morning traffic and music drifted through the window and a chilly breeze blew inside causing Mako to shiver and wrap his arms around his bare chest. Patting Naga before heading back to the room he shared with Korra, he instructed her to try and not get her paws muddy when she went outside.

With a yawn, he pulled the blanket back up over himself and once again wrapped his arms around his wife's small waist. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted off and did not resurface into the waking world until he felt something kick his shin not once but several times. Blinking dazedly, he felt his sleeping wife fidgeting restlessly against him, muttering incoherent, unsettled words. His amber eyes finally adjusted to the mid-morning light, and he was a bit surprised to find her expression angry with tears running down her cheeks. Mako kissed the glistening trails on her face, sliding his hand underneath her head. Softly he urged, "Korra, sweetheart, wake up. It's just a dream. Come on, sweetheart."

Her shining blue orbs fluttered open rapidly and, her mind still in dreamland she blurted out, "Turtle seal...snatched my custard tart."

Mako couldn't help but laugh and give her an astonished look. Pecking her lips, and using his thumb to wipe away the wetness beneath her eyes he asked, "Is all you think about food?"

"No," She retorted, almost sounding offended. She wrapped her arms around her his neck when she finally came to, and pulled him closer to her. He could feel her rapid heart beat pounding against his chest, and he was a bit taken aback to feel her shaking. "That was _not_ my dream, you jerk."

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" He kissed her once again, and she shook her head refusing. "Are you sure?"

When she shook her head from side to side once again, he whispered, "It's okay. You can tell me anything, you know that sweetheart."

She huffed a sigh. "I had another one right before you got home."

"This morning?"

Korra nodded against his neck. "It was similar."

"What happened? Go ahead and get it out of your system." He persisted, but her frustrated glower, made him reverse his tracks. "Or, you can wait, and we can talk about it later, if and when you want to."

Her leer disappeared and he smiled at her, giving her a good morning kiss. "Well, everything is alright now. I'm here, and Naga's on her way back."

She chuckled and briefly slipped out of bed to run to the restroom. Finishing brushing her teeth, she crawled back under the covers next to him. Her short, silk nightgown hardly an excuse for clothing. Shivering, she curled back up next to Mako, appreciating just how warm he always was. The firebender leaned against her for a kiss, putting pressure on her currently swollen breasts. Korra groaned in discomfort against his lips and he pulled back.

Confused, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"My boobs," She confessed honestly. Mako raised an eyebrow suggestively, and she shoved him. "Not like _that_. They hurt. They're just really sore and tender. Like a hundred times what they normally feel like during my period. But, I'm _not_ on my period."

"I'm sorry," He responded apologetically, the side of his head resting on her pillow. "Anything I can do to help? Some sort of tea?"

"Maybe, but don't leave yet," Korra whined grabbing his arm. Her tone became suddenly became rather needy, something very unlike Korra. "Stay with me, please."

"Of, course." Happily, he obliged, but not without a bit of confusion.

Apparently his bewildered expression was evident on his face, because Korra's expression fell drastically. Her voice was entirely crest fallen and small. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like _what_?" His uncertainty increased.

"Like-I don't know-you're disgusted or something?" She said with so much distress in her voice that Mako was fairly certain that she might begin to cry. "Like you are now."

"Oh, Korra, no." He insisted, kissing her and making a conscious effort to alter his facial expression. "Why would you-? What are you-? In no way am I disgusted."

"Then what is it?" The young girl asked her husband. Any logical reasoning, or typical rough and tough attitude that tried to make its way into her brain and demeanor completely failed. She had no idea why, but her emotions were off the scale. So, on top of feeling upset, she was embarrassed, self-conscious, and teary-eyed. "Are-Are you not attracted to me?"

Mako's eyebrows knitted together and he jerked his head back astonished. At first he felt a bit defensive, but decided against the feeling. He tried to put her hand back on her waist but she jerked, her blue eyes pleading. His voice was soft and he persisted in grasping her waist regardless of her protest. "Korra-"

Tears had already started to slip onto her cheeks. "I know I'm not as pretty as some other girls like Asami or Princess Avani from the Earth Kingdom. And I certainly don't have that tall, slender figure. And-"

She was forced to stop talking by the sudden presence of his lips covering hers. "Can it, you crazy girl. What are you talking about? Do you think I care what any other woman looks like? I married you for you. I love you, everything about you. And your body is one of those things that I not only love, but adore. You're perfect. You're just acting a bit strange this morning. It's _really_ confusing. Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry. I think it's my dreams." She told him.

His bewilderment forced him to keep his mouth shut, knowing that if he asked about her dreams, it would send them through a perpetual loop. And, her emotional roller coaster was beginning to make him feel like he was walking a tight rope high above an entire pack of angry panrillas. All he had wanted for this morning was to spend a peaceful, loving few hours wrapped up entirely in each other-with or without clothes-but, he had not planned on having to deal with a currently very self-conscious, grumpy wife. His mind went into overdrive to find a way out of this, a talent he had picked up on the streets when he had run numbers for the Triple Threat Triad to avoid trouble with the police or other triads.

Automatically, his palm traveled from her waist to her hip to the back of her thigh. Slowly, his fingers wandered up underneath the nightgown, over the side of her undergarments and around the small of her back. Gently he rolled them over so that she was on her back and he, overtop of her, straddling her waist. His voice was soft. "Let me help you forget those nightmares."

With practiced ease, he pulled her lingerie slip up over her head. Tossing it to the back of the bed, he ran his hands up her sides and under her shoulder blades. He had forgotten about her sore chest and as he kissed his way up her body, his light pecks pushed against and around her breasts.

Korra groaned once again. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his face up to her own. "Ow, Mako! That hurts, babe."

"Sorry," He apologized, brushing his lips against hers. The young firebender was a tad disappointed that she was so tender, because during their lovemaking he found them to truly be very alluring and a great way to excite her. But, the challenge of discovering a different technique to arouse her interest called to him. Within moments he had her calling his name, pleadingly. He chuckled, nibbling at the nape of her neck. "Am I _that_ talented?"

She glared up at him, her blue eyes shooting daggers. Roughly she pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips, locking her knees against his boxers. Grinding her pelvis against him, and running her hands up his chest, he reached back and grabbed a pillow to bite in order to control himself. She was driving him crazy to the point that he didn't know how much longer he would be able to contain himself. When he moaned, she grinned devilishly. "Don't let _your talent_ go to your head, Mr. Hat Trick."

Their youth gave them quite a good amount of extra libido, and as with any other couple that the red thread of fate had tied together, they naturally were drawn to each other physically along with many other ways. After the two weeks following her miscarriage that they had been unable to have intercourse, he had nearly been so hot and heavy for her that he had to focus extremely hard on making sure that he made that session all about her. Even though they had merely been married and experiencing such intimate passion for about four months, they had truly begun to discover exactly what their partner loved the most during these times, and they were always excited to discover something new like they had this time.

When they were finished, Korra rolled off of him and onto her back beside him. They stared at the ceiling with awe as sweat rolled down their foreheads, their hearts raced, and they heaved in oxygen mercilessly. His chest rising and falling rapidly, Mako choked out, "You...are...amazing."

* * *

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Let me clarify." Bolin, Verick who had just arrived in town, Asami, and Iroh stood outside of Madame Yu's International Bistro just a few blocks from the harbor. They had planned to meet for a championship pre-game lunch to celebrate Bolin's success in leading the new group of Fire Ferrets successfully to end of the season. The group of currently waited outside for Mako and Korra's arrival, chatting as they did so. Verick, a wealthy, late twenty-something year old, skirt-chasing entrepreneur with a pencil mustache, stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling at his new acquaintance. "So you _are_ the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation? Do you prefer to be addressed as General, or Your Highness."

"General, please." He answered solemnly. Solely his first name was only something that his family and friends addressed him by. Before joining the United Forces, he had been called Prince, but now, like the man he was named for, he was a general. It was what _he,_ as a person, had become known for. The title and rank of General of the United Forces was something he had _earned_, while the title and nobility of Prince was not, he had been born with it. It was not to say that he wasn't proud of being a prince, and grandson to the former Firelord Zuko. He absolutely was, but his own accomplishment set him apart.

"So, General Iroh," Verick said, as respectfully as possible, "Do you and the other soldiers and sailors get much action out at sea?"

"Sure we do." Iroh answered. It was a question he was used to, but this time he thought it was worded rather oddly. Most people simply asked how often his fleet was requested to send aide of some sort. "Most of our operations are peaceful. We try to provide relief worldwide. Unfortunately every once in a while we have to deal with-"

Verick waved his hand with a friendly grin. "Oh, I'm sorry, General. That's not what I meant."

"I'm sorry?" The great general a bit thrown off guard by the interruption.

"I meant action as in a wild blowout on deck where you just get absolutely tanked." Verick's inquiry was now well understood, but as the type of person that simply said what was on his mind, he continued. "You boys deserve a bit of relaxation and fun every once in awhile. You fellas work really hard."

The general's face had begun to turn a bit red from the awkward situation he had been jammed into. "Drinking is not permitted during working hours."

"Well, how about after hours?" The wealthy Water Tribe man insisted. "I mean, I would be entirely willing to ship you boys some giggle water, and some hotsy-totsy peelers and pro-skirts for yours and the men's _personal_ entertainment. So, how about it? Your next tour I'll hire and buy you a real party."

Iroh pursed his lips in surprise, and his amber eyes darted almost comically to the girl on his arm for assistance, but she looked on expectantly, although furiously might have been a more accurate description. However, he was not sure if it was directed at Verick or himself. Either way, it was certainly frightening. The uniform that he currently adorned should have instilled some sort self-confidence in him in this type of situation. And after twenty-six years of life it would seem that a stranger taking idle chitchat completely sideways would not be one of his weaknesses. Especially considering his royal training. Alas, that was not the case. He could spend hours immersed in conversations about things like philosophy, history, war, and the arts, polite conversation he did well with, he struggled a bit with two dimensional conversations, but he could not handle _anyone_ completely altering the topic to something so highly inappropriate.

To make matters worse for himself, as he stood dumbstruck like a complete moron, he could practically feel Asami's blood begin to boil at his gawking silence. He completely understood why it bothered her, but it wasn't entirely his fault that he had been thrown so off guard. In complete honesty, he was so awestruck by the offer that he wasn't quite sure how to handle it. Iroh had been raised properly as a gentleman. Never once had he been intoxicated past the point of extreme happiness. In fact, it was rare day that he would drink. And, most importantly, he had been taught to treat a woman like a lady at all times. It was a moral that had always clung close to his heart. A moral that kept him from temptations. He had never once in his life been with a woman because of it, and he certainly wasn't going to lose the streak to a prostitute.

Iroh was waiting for the love of his life, the only woman he ever planned on being with. And then, in that one brief moment, it suddenly occurred to him. He had already found her. In fact, she was right beside him, her arm was loped through his and her green eyes were cut with such a challenge that it had even silenced Bolin. The General had known that he loved her whole-heartedly, and that she was the one that he wanted to share the rest of his life with. It just hadn't occurred to him to think of her in this light. Of course, he was a male and he found his sweetheart very physically attractive-along with her many other qualities-so, naturally he did have the occasional fleeting fantasy. But, the realization that she was going to be the first and only woman he would make love to made him absolutely elated. She was that special to him.

With that new found happiness he was able to clear his head enough to reprimand the wealthy playboy that had presented the offer. "Verick, you seem like a very nice gentleman, but I want to make myself very clear. I do not, and will not, tolerate any sort of promiscuous, lowlife behavior from my men. Many of them are married, or in a committed relationship like myself, and I expect them to behave as such. They are honorable people, and I will not permit any of those sorts of _gifts_ aboard my ships. Do we have an understanding, Mr. Verick?"

Verick nodded rather apprehensively, Asami gave Verick one more warning stare before leaning towards her beloved and pecking him on the cheek, and Bolin rapidly changed the subject. "So, any of you guys been here before?"

"Bolin, Madame Yu catered your brother's wedding," Asami told him.

"I know that." He put his hands on his hips defiantly. "I was _trying_ to make conversation."

"I haven't," Verick said, raising his hand. "Is it any good?"

"It's fantastic!" A distinctive female voice called from a few yards away.

The group outside of the restaurant turned to see the Avatar, hand in hand with her husband, making her way towards them. She smiled broadly at them like an excited child. Mako, like a love struck teenager, grinned dreamily at the back of her swaying ponytail as she dragged him along. Knowing Mako, Iroh was fairly certain that he must have been told something pleasing by his wife before they had made their appearance. However, when he noticed Iroh and Bolin's curious eyes on him, his expression quickly changed back to stoic, but friendly.

When they were within feet of their friends Korra released Mako's hand and ran into Verick, whose arms were outstretched. She returned his platypus bear hug instantly. Holding her out at arms length, he looked her up and down. "Well, look at you squirt! You are more and more beautiful every time I see you. I mean, you're really glowing."

Korra chuckled, "Thanks, Verick. It's good to see you too."

He turned her around by the shoulders so the group could get a better look at her. His voice was a bit more matter-of-fact than anything else. "Really you guys. She _is_ glowing. Look at her."

* * *

"I still can't believe you turned down roast duck," Asami muttered to Korra as they walked away from Madame Yu's International Bistro, and towards their respective destinations. Outside they had said goodbye to Bolin, who was headed to the arena, and Verick, who was heading back to his hotel room. The championship game started at nine that evening, and the plan was to meet up in the arena fifteen minutes before seven. That left them nearly six hours to recover from the large midday meal. Asami's unfinished meal was kept in a doggie bag in Iroh's hand that did not grasp Asami's. "I've never seen you turn so green. At least you didn't actually throw up."

Korra shrugged with a repulsed facial expression, "It just _really_ didn't look good. At all."

"It looked delicious," Iroh piped in.

"It _was _delicious," Mako corrected. When they reached Asami's black and maroon roadster, Mako paused to wish them well. "Have a safe drive. We'll see you guys tonight!"

Asami waved and blew the horn as she pulled out into the light, afternoon traffic. Typically, during rush hour at least, it could take up to forty minutes to drive from the harbor district to uptown. But, with her driving expertise and the scarce presence of cars, she and Iroh made it to her apartment in only ten minutes. Parking the car, they headed inside to call the elevator operator, who greeted them warmly. After unlocking her penthouse, Iroh flipped the radio on in the parlor to have a a beautiful waltz tune echo through the apartment as Asami put the leftovers in the icebox. When she stood up she saw a hand outstretched to her. "Dance with me?"

Enveloping herself into the music, Asami draped her hand across his shoulder, and he grasped her waist. In his other hand, with his arm stiffly bent at the proper distance, he held her other. For a brief moment he closed his eyes to hear the beat of the music slowly pick up in rhythm. She smiled when she realized that he was counting, just barely mouthing numbers. As soon as a new verse began to play, their feet moved across her kitchen. Like any well-trained gentleman, he led her, spinning around into the parlor, his coattails flapping behind him. Both of them coming from upper-society, they were well trained in the most formal dances.

He twirled her beneath his arm, and when the music struck a high note, he lifted her by her waist and spun themselves around. She laughed when he placed her back down on the floor. If Ikki had been present, she undoubtably would have made excited comments about how romantic they were, and Jinora would have swooned about how much they resembled princes and princesses in fairy tales she had read. As the music died, they slowed their pace to match the new song. With a brilliant smile, Asami noted that his sparkling golden eyes had never left her, and neither had his broad grin.

"Who taught you to dance?" It was a question a question she had never bothered to ask him. She had simply always known that he could, and she hadn't felt the need to find out.

He smiled with the memory. "Actually, when I was really little, I would attend ball after ball and banquet after banquet. But, I was so small that I didn't have anything to do except watch. I was always so fascinated by how everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing, and all of the movements seemed to flow. Almost like bending. But, there was one night during a ball that I decided I would learn to move exactly the way everyone else in the hall did. I had memorized everything, I just had not put them into action. I learned to count the music by ear, and that's precisely what I did. I was four when halfway into the night I snuck into the empty corridor behind the ball. So I closed my eyes and counted, trying to teach myself. I had no idea that I had been followed, so you can only imagine how high I jumped, because I wasn't supposed to leave, when I heard someone say rather loudly, 'You're a natural.' The next thing I knew Aang was standing beside me having me pretend that my grandfather was a girl that I wanted to ask to dance. They argued about it at first, deciding who should be the woman, but ultimately it was Grandfather. Aang was a remarkable dancer, of course, he might have cheated with airbending, but he knew what he was doing. That whole night they spent the evening teaching me, guiding me. And, at the end of the evening, they had me go and a go ask a twenty-something year old Earth Kingdom Noblewoman to dance with me. Of course, she had to bend down, but who would ever refuse a four year old prince to a dance? Everyone just watched and clapped, I was so proud of myself. After Aang passed a few years down the road, it was Grandfather that taught me. He'd learned from Aang, and in exchange he taught Aang to make tea."

"Your grandfather and Avatar Aang were great friends, weren't they?" Asami asked him.

"The best." He agreed with a sad smile. "It was so hard on him when Aang passed."

"He must miss him."

"Everyday." Iroh responded, twirling her once more. "What about you, though? Who taught you to dance?"

"My mother. But, my father danced with me a lot too." She told him with a half-smile. "I _had_ to learn. I went to a lot of banquets too, and by the time I was seven I would be asked to dance by someone that actually knew how to dance. I remember there was one time that I was thirteen, and every girl wanted to dance with Lau Gan-Lan's son. Oh, he was _very _handsome_._ Curly brown hair, tall, green eyes-"

"I think I understand your point," Iroh said a bit dejectedly, and Asami smiled at him mischievously.

"Anyways, I can't tell you how excited I was when he asked me to dance. But, you know what he did?" She had nearly shouted it, and he shook his head. Asami took one step back and raised her right foot. "He stepped on my foot! He broke my little toe, too! So, you know what I did? I stepped on his foot right back, and broke two of his. That was the _last_ time he ever asked me to dance."

Iroh laughed as he pictured Asami, the well brought up heiress at the age of the thirteen losing her temper. She continued. "From then on, boys were very selective about asking me to dance. Word had gotten out. But, you know what? All of them were such a drag. So, my dear, it is safe to say that _you _are my favorite dance partner."

"I don't make it boring?" He chuckled.

"No. But, that might also be because I kind of might like you a little bit." She teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His strong arms slid around her waist and he pulled her close, still swaying to the rhythm. He sounded mockingly offended as he exclaimed, "Only a little?"

"Yeah," She winked at him. "But I'm pretty sure that I love you a lot."

"I love you a lot, too," He answered, burying his face into the nape of her neck, the chain of his dog tag around her neck rubbing against his cheek.

* * *

Mako smirked as Korra practically leaned over the railing in the Arena's stands. After the last few matches had been too cramped in the locker room with Bolin's friends and family, they were now required to attend matches amongst the fans. Only once the match had ended would they be able to join the Fire Ferrets in the locker room. They had purchased front row tickets, and as she cheered like a maniac alongside Ikki, Asami, Meelo, and Verick, children would run up to her to ask for her autograph. In fact, many did the same for Mako, eager to have the signature of the short-running, but possibly the best probender of all time.

It was the start of the first round, and a dead tie between the Fire Ferrets and the Wolfbats. The two teams stood on even ground with two players in first territory. The Fire Ferret's waterbender had only been knocked back one zone this match, with Ming, the White Falls Wolfbat earthbender in the same position. Each one of them was fighting their hardest, and none of them dared let go of their grounding.

When Shaozu sent a blast straight at Bolin that surely would have sent him tumbling back a zone, Tamal flipped through the air. The Fire Ferret firebender, fiercely brought a kick down that fanned the fire clear out of his captain's way. The group leaning against the railing cheered wildly for the young man that had learned to function in a team. Asami shouted, "Yeah Tamal! Blast those pretty boys out of the ring!"

"Hey, Tahno, make sure you don't get your hair singed!" Korra taunted the Wolfbat that had become her friendly rival. Ever since she had restored his bending, he had worshipped the ground she walked on, while still giving her a hard time. She laughed when she saw him grimace behind his faceplate, clearly having heard her. But the experienced probender was quick on his feet and managed to dodge almost everything Bolin threw at him. It happened when he had extended his leg out just a little too far. The disk that collided with his ankle mid roundhouse kick caused him to make a ninety degree turn to his right, and Tamal quickly took the advantage to increase Tahno's momentum.

Ming and Shaozu were completely shocked to witness their captain sink straight into the drink, and the Fire Ferrets took advantage of their hesitation. Tamal and the waterbender double-teamed Ming, who was still in first territory, as Bolin went on the aggressive offense against Shaozu. What he didn't expect was a fire blast to the side that nearly sent him slipping into zone two. But, it wouldn't have mattered if he had slipped back a zone, because in that instant the final buzzer rang.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you this year's probending champions! New Future Industries' Fabulous Fire Ferrets!" Shiro Shinobi voice echoed around the entire arena, and the crowd erupted. There were a few boos and a few awes of disappointment, but mostly his announcement was met by thunderous cheers. Roses were launched into the ring by fans, and the three Fire Ferrets waved with complete happiness. But, hardly anyone was going as berserk Korra and Tenzin. A few people, including Lin Beifong stared at them humorously, but they could have cared less.

Korra leading the way, she stormed her way down to the locker room with Mako, who had Rohan on his shoulders, Asami, Iroh, who had Meelo on his shoulders, and the girls. The Avatar noticed that she felt a little dizzy from the run, which was odd, but she did not let it faze her. They made it just in time to see them board the platform. The waterbender still looked shocked that she had managed to not be knocked back all the way to zone three, Tamal appeared the happiest she had ever seen him, and Bolin was ecstatically leaping for joy.

Bolin clung to the first people he could reach, and that happened to be Iroh, Meelo, Mako, and Rohan. The waterbender, shy as she was, humbly accepted Korra's and the girl's congratulations. But the greeting she found most shocking was Tamal's. The firebender, with a smile a mile wide, simply walked forwards with the appearance of someone with determination, and dropped his helmet on the ground by the bench. He didn't even pause out of warning. The handsome young man simply wrapped his arms around Asami and pushed his lips against hers.

This time, Korra _really _noticed the dizziness. In fact, apart from Tamal's stunt, it was the only thing she noticed before everything went black.

* * *

**Wow! Well wasn't that quite the chapter! I just had to put all that fluff in with Makorra and Irosami! I'm sorry! I just love writing it! I just can't control my feelings! They keep telling me to write Makorra! And you know what? I think I will! Anyways how did you like those intimate scenes? Too graphic? (or not enough ;) *another creeper face*) Did you guys expect that of Tamal? Oh no what will their reactions be to this kiss!? And WHY did Korra faint!? Stay tuned to find out! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review this chapter! I rely on your thoughts! I practically live off of them! (isn't that sad?) But if you review, I will be your bff and I just made cookies! Everyone needs a new friend! *another creeper face* Giggity! OHH RIGHT! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello ladies and gents. I am sorry that this has taken so long to put up, and that I've left you all waiting. I just moved into my dorm this week and I have been lacking on time with my first year of college. I promise I won't be making a habit of the long waits! But, I hope this one was worth it! Let me know how much you like it! Lots of love to all you faithful readers. You guys are amazing!**

* * *

"How you doin', sis?" A friendly voice asked humoredly as a tiny, gentle tongue caressed her cheek.

"Bo?" Light flooded her vision, and she looked up to see a pair of gleaming green eyes hovering above her. Pabu was curled up in her lap, as the young man helped her into a sitting position. The three eldest airbender kids stood at her side eagerly, and their youngest brother was on Bolin's shoulders. She recognized her surroundings as the locker room of the Probending Arena. The young woman smacked her hand to her forehead in embarrassment. "I'm such an idiot. Who passes out like that?"

Bolin shrugged with a goofy grin, and then mocked her. He put his hand to his forehead and pretended to feel faint. "It was pretty funny."

"It was AWESOME!" Meelo shouted, pumping his fist in the air. Jinora gave him a dirty look out of the corner of her eye and Ikki stuck her tongue out at him.

Korra punched Bolin's shoulder with a laugh. "Oh, shut up. Where is everyone else?"

"Just outside in the hall. You can probably hear them yelling if you listen. Things got kind of messy-or rather hilarious in my opinion, I can't believe you missed it-after you passed out." Bolin informed her enthusiastically only to be rapidly followed up by Ikki.

The nine-year-old chattered so fast that it was hard to distinguish between individual sentences. "Well, Tamal kissed Asami, and Asami was too surprised to do anything at first and she just sort of stood there for a sec. But, Iroh didn't! He was _so_ mad! I don't know if he was madder at Tamal for kissing her, or at Asami for not doing anything about it. You should have seen it, Korra! He pulled him off of her-"

"And punched him!" Meelo announced interrupting a now rather frustrated Ikki.

Korra was shocked to hear that the gentlemanly Iroh had ever acted out in a brute fit of anger. She had never seen him lose his temper to the point of attacking someone that was not a threatening rival, an enemy yes, but not someone that the majority of them had liked. "Iroh jumped Tamal?"

Bolin nodded with an enthusiastic grin. "Yeah, right in the face. But, it wasn't until after he wrenched him off of Asami. Tamal said he was sorry and that he didn't know that Iroh and Asami were a couple. Iroh was pretty piss-uh angry-and really in Tamal's face about it though. So, Tamal told him to back off, and so did Asami, even _Mako_ said something. But, apparently Iroh was in his space too long, and Tamal shoved him away with a kick to the gut. Which Iroh didn't appreciate, and so he hit him. At first, it sort of looked like he regretted it, but it was too late and Tamal hit him back him. It was pretty cool, but don't tell Asami that. They like wrestled through the doorway. Chief Beifong, Verick, Pema, and Tenzin made it into the hallway just, like, seconds ago. Chief and Mako pulled them apart out in the hallway just a second ago. They're giving them a talking to right now from what I hear."

The young Avatar groaned, disappointed that she had missed such a spectacle. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she worked her way into a standing position. "I have got to see this."

As she made her way to the doorway, Meelo and Ikki peeking around the sides of her body to observe, she was met by the harsh sound of Asami Sato's typically soft voice reprimanding someone. Korra was a bit taken aback by the sight of the delicate woman's fists balled, jamming her finger into the General's chest, who was currently sitting shamefully on the ground nursing a swollen lip. She had only heard Asami raise her voice a few times before, and so she knew that being on the receiving end of this was most likely terrifying. "Are you _INSANE_? Iroh, he didn't know! You're so-I'm just-argh!"

"Asami, wait!" Iroh called after the young woman marching away. He made to stand, but Tenzin put a hand on his shoulder, knowing that she just needed some space. Concerned for her well being the young General shouted after her. "At least tell me where you're going, please."

"Work," She barked without evening turning her head. Her raven locks swished behind her as she made her way into the cold evening air outside. That was so like Asami, to bury herself deep inside of a new project when a new stress arose. It was how she handled her worries and troubles, and in the very least it was a productive way to calm herself down.

Still unnoticed by everyone else, Korra made eye contact with Tamal who also sat on the ground, opposite of Iroh. She gave him a grin, noting his black eye. Tamal curled his lip in displeasure, but smiled at her humorous remark, "That went well."

"Korra," Mako breathed with a bit of relief. The instant he heard her voice, he broke away from the group beside him. His arms wrapped around her torso and he kissed her temple. "Are you alright?"

Her face turned beet red again, and she mumbled under her breath. "Yeah, I just got dizzy."

His golden eyes bore into hers skeptically, but he chose not to interrogate her. Korra was never one to faint at the drop of a hat, and yet she had. He would have stayed by her side, but he was only a room away and Bolin and the kids had tken care of her for the brief moment he had attended to duty as a law enforcement officer. Mako, listening to Beifong reprimand both the esteemed General and probending champ on their behavior, wrapped his arm around her shoulders in case she were to have a light headed spell again.

Bolin and the children had followed Korra outside into the hallway, and the newly-weds turned back to see Rohan extend his arms out to his his mother. "Where is Ami going?"

"To her office, sweetie." Pema answered, putting him on her hip.

Rohan looked at his father and then at Iroh expectantly. His big, green eyes were concerned. He loved all of Team Avatar, and he had a special bond with each of them, but Asami was the one that he had grown the most attached to. The young General glanced at him disappointedly, unsure if what he felt was shame or embarrassment for upsetting the small boy. The world's youngest airbender chirped in his high-pitched voice, "That's far away. It's dark. Isn't it dangerous? Ami's not a bender."

"She'll be okay, Ro. She knows what she's doing," Pema answered him with a smile and a kiss to his button nose for reassurance. Rohan was always so sensitive to other people's concerns and feelings. He was naturally a worrier when it came to the safety of himself and people he cared about, and his 'momma's boy' tendencies made him a tad more cautious than other children around his age.

Fully aware of the little boy's delicate feelings, Lin tried to make it discreet when she whispered into Mako's ear, "There's a lot of gang activity going on. Saikhan made sure there were extra patrols out tonight. Be sure to let Iroh know."

* * *

"Oof!" A voice rang out, only to be followed by the sound of a small person's rear end colliding with the pavement.

Surprised by the sudden impact against his side, Mako looked down at the child-sized figure that had been knocked off of their feet beside him. Mako and Korra had taken the back exit out of the Arena that was less crowded, and was less likely to have pickpockets roaming amongst the exiting attendees. And yet now, they were unsure if they had entirely avoided that problem.

Mako was still incredibly cautious with any and all of his belongings. Around their flat, he hid things of value in strange places, even concealing small sentimental objects behind plates in the kitchen cabinets. He had been a bit upset and embarrassed when Korra had discovered that he still laced the insides of his clothes with yuans. Korra knew that the habit came from a hard life on the streets where anything could have been stolen without a moments notice right from under his nose. As someone that had been provided for her entire life, the concept of such bizarre behaviors had been quite surreal at first. Yet, the first time she had seen him and Bolin slip extra food into their pockets as though they would never see a meal again, she had been given a mere taste of what it must have been like to scrounge for food everyday. From then on she did not once question his tactics. Every once in awhile, she would frown in a bit of annoyance when she found something like a spool of thread hidden amongst china in their dining room, but she would remind herself why it was there and simply put it in its proper place. And, now on the ground before them was someone that was probably just as concerned about their own possessions as Mako was.

"Gee, I'm sorry, Mister. I didn't see you there. I probably should have been payin' better attention to where I was goin'." The voice belonged to a little girl that could be no older than Ikki, perhaps even younger than Meelo. Her tattered, light brown hair fell in tangled waves around her shoulders and back, and she kept shoving one piece out of the way of one of her big, green eyes and tucked it behind her ear. Her short stature was thin from lack of a proper diet. The torn, filthy, stained clothes she wore could hardly be an excuse for proper winter attire. It was thin, quarter-lengthed and worn out. Nervously, she gave them a sheepish smile, recognition dawning on her face as she gawked at the two young adults before her. In surprise she pointed from Korra, to Mako, and back. "I know you! You're the old Fire Ferrets! And you…you're the Avatar!"

The little girl scratched behind her neck unsurely, realizing exactly who the two people were that currently stood before her. "Um, I don't know if I'm supposed to bow, or what."

"A hello is fine," Korra reassured her. The short woman kneeled before her, and stuck out her hand to the miniature street rat. "You can call me Korra, though. And, this is my husband, Mako."

"Aiko," The little girl offered in return. "It's a real honor to meet you. Most of us never really meet anyone famous."

Korra's blue eyes shifted towards Mako just briefly. In his amber eyes she saw a millennium of memories flash by. They both had fairly good idea of whom Aiko was referring to. "Us? Do you mean your family?"

Aiko's green eyes stared at the ground momentarily and she pursed her lips uncertainly. "Sort of."

"Well, they must be looking for you then. You didn't come here all by yourself, did you?" Mako asked unsurely.

"No, they probably are just wondering why I didn't meet up with them. I didn't come here by myself, but I wasn't exactly here with family." The little girl responded a bit hesitantly. She probably would not have opened up anything to them, but these two people were her idols and they seemed so trustworthy. So, when Mako asked her where they were and why they weren't with her, she answered, "They're dead."

Mako's face twisted with understanding and sympathy, as did Korra's, but not quite on the same level. He kneeled beside his wife, before Aiko. "I'm sorry, Aiko. So are my parents. I lost them when I was very young."

The little girl shrugged with an attempt at doing so apathetically before gesturing at the Arena behind her. "It's okay, I don't remember them very well. I was too little. Skoochy and his gang are like my family. We take care of each other. But, those jerks I came to watch the game with me split up from me because Skooch gave us an assignment. It's okay, though, I kind of like working on my own. I was running cause I didn't wanna get caught."

"Doing what?" Korra questioned her sympathetically.

She stared at the ground again, and mumbled beneath her breath almost inaudibly. "Pickpocketing."

Mako pursed his lips in thought, and Korra frowned sadly. Such a small child should never have to grow up so quickly, or become a petty thief to survive. The Avatar made a mental note to address the Council at their next meeting about improving the care inside of Republic City Orphanages. Most were just as bad, if not worse than surviving on the streets, and the reason many children chose to call the concrete jungle home versus the inside of a place that was supposedly a safe haven for the United Republic's orphans. The few that actually existed were over-crowded, short on supplies to treat the sick ones, lacking in food, compassion, and love. It was better to amongst other children that would show loyalty to you on the pavement, with the capability of stealing supplies, and where you had the ability to fight for your own survival, rather than to have none and know for certain that your odds of dying in the lonely children's shelter were incredibly high. The firebender knew exactly what that life had been like trying to scrounge for anything you owned, having to fight for what was rightfully yours, and trying to avoid authority figures when you naturally broke so many laws.

"Have you had dinner, Aiko?" Mako asked. He watched her green eyes grow wide with both longing and uncertainty. Sometimes, he knew, the children wrapped up in alliances were given orders from their leader to not rub elbows with anyone that could land them in the hands of the cops, or could down the chances of the group making extra cash. Yet, he knew Skoochy was not like that, he knew the boy too well to peg him as a control freak. Skoochy allowed the other children to be independent so long as the brought in their cut. Street children were often instinctively suspicious of anyone else's intentions.

She shook her head from side to side with a mixture of truth and apprehension. Mako knew that in her mind's eye no one was to be trusted, but that was a learned notion and something that he hoped he could fix. It wasn't like other children on the street didn't touch him, on the contrary he wanted to do something special for all of them, and he gave them spare change whenever he got the chance. But, this little girl in particular was one that Mako wanted to help any chance he got, and with one look from his wife beside him, he knew that was exactly what she wanted too. Maybe it was the way Aiko smiled that reminded him so much of his brother, or the way that her mannerisms and tone of voice that also matched Bolin's free-spiritedness had seemed to take the form of a little person that wanted to believe that cynicism would save her life. And he grinned at her when her true nature, that was much like his brother's tainted by his own, shown through. Aiko put a tiny, frail hand on her inverted stomach. "Nope. I haven't eaten since yesterday."

"It's so late," Korra protested. There was still a part of her that found it unbelievable that anyone had to go over twenty-four hours with out a single scar of a meal. "You must be starving."

"We haven't had anything either," Mako let her know, trying to distract from his wife's bluntness. He knew that her heart was in the right place, but such a comment could easily offend a homeless orphan. "How would you like to eat with us over at our apartment?"

"Woah! Seriously?" The little girl of Earth Kingdom heritage blurted out in surprise. The offer of a decent meal was almost always too good to be true. She corrected her enthusiasm, and crossed her hands behind her back. "I mean, are you sure?"

"Of course," Korra told her with her very own signature smile.

"I would love it!" Aiko announced enthusiastically, the desire of having a meal was just like the thought of winning a million yuans, practically unrealistic.

Korra was certain that Aiko had never even touched a Satomobile once in her very young life, much less ridden in one. When they had led her down a few blocks from the Arena to where they had parked, the little girl's eyes grew to the size of coconuts at the sight of the sleek maroon and pearl, convertible automobile. The idea that anyone could ever afford one was unthinkable. "This is yours?"

Mako chuckled at her enthusiasm as she pointed a small index finger at the car. "You bet. We just managed to afford it."

For whatever reason, neither of them really minded letting her know that their financial situation had not allowed any luxuries up until recently. They did not want to leave the girl with the impression that they were so wealthy that they could simply purchase whatever their hearts desired, on the contrary, they wanted her to know that they appreciated what they could afford. Yes, they had both had an income from New Future Industries, but neither of had wanted to accept Asami's generosity to begin with, after all they really didn't do anything but serve as test drivers. And, now that they both had careers with Mako as a police officer and Korra as an advisor to the council and to every other nation, there was no need for it.

Neither of them had ever worn a seatbelt once in their life, but they had insisted that Aiko wear hers, both concerned that the little girl could fly out from simply an abrupt stop. Her sharp eyes inspected every inch of the fine leather interior and the glossy paint of the exterior. Her mouth hung ajar at the hum of the engine, and she was amazed to see everything pass by so quickly into a whirlwind of colors and flashing signs. She shivered once from the cool winter air, and Mako offered to let her borrow his scarf. When she had protested because she thought she was too dirty to wear it, the firebender had persisted until she took it. His actions had even surprised himself.

Along the way, Aiko pointed at multiple locations and told a small story to go along with each. Including swimming in the stream at the park that was now frozen over, and running away from the officer who told them that it was illegal, as well as fishing in it and also being reprimanded on the run. At one point she revealed herself as an earthbender after informing them-much to her satisfaction and to Korra's amusement-that she had picked a fight with and won against a small group of older boys that had tried to steal from her after Narook had generously given her an extra sack of blubbered seal jerky to take back home to her alley camp. Korra had snickered at every one of Aiko's fighting stories, and offered to show her some Master techniques, which astonished and delighted the tiny brunette. Never in her wildest dreams had Aiko thought that perhaps one day she would be taught to bend by the Avatar herself. In return the two young adults told her their own stories. Mako told her about his adventures on the streets, and Korra informed her of what had happened the very first time she had arrived in Republic City, both of which made Aiko giggle and goggle in awe.

Her pearly, green eyes glazed over with desire when they walked into the lobby of their apartment building, and she raised her thin eyebrows curiously at the sight of the elevator attendant who gave her a kind nod of acknowledgement. Aiko was clearly not used to being warmly responded to by people that had any sort of wealth. But, being escorted by two kind adults must have made her appear more like an adventurous child that could not resist playing in the outdoors, rather than a filthy little thief. When Korra unlocked the door to her and Mako's apartment, Aiko simply stood on the edge of threshold, not daring to step inside.

Mako put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him with a stony expression. His red scarf was still wrapped snugly around her scrawny shoulders. He reassured her, "It's alright."

"I'm too dirty," Aiko protested, gesturing towards the spotless tile floor of the entryway.

Korra extended her hand to the little orphan that she had already grown rather fond of. "That's okay. We'll just get you cleaned up while Mako makes us dinner. Does that sound okay?"

Aiko bobbed her little head up and down, and grasped the Avatar's hand. Korra gave her husband a peck on the cheek as she led the little girl towards the powder room down the hall. She smiled as Aiko glanced all around, taking in every part of her surroundings. As Korra went from cabinet to cabinet, warm water filling the tub, Aiko asked her about anything and everything she could think of about the bathtub, how it worked, where the water the came from, where she got such beautiful towels, how many yuans soap cost, and so much more for curiosity's sake. At first Aiko seemed reluctant to let her clothes out of her sight when Korra brought her a pair of her smaller winter pajamas to wear after she was done bathing. However, Korra knew how to put her anxiety to ease by simply folding them and putting them on the bathroom counter.

The Avatar kneeled beside the tub after guiding Aiko into the warm running water. On contact, the water that was draining turned a grey color from the dust and dirt that clung to the little girl. She nearly jumped back from the water, her skin sensitive to the liquid heat. But, upon Korra's reassurance, she settled herself in front of the faucet and a sigh escaped from her lips. "See? Not so bad."

Aiko giggled at the comment as Korra ran the water over her and began to scrub the filth away from her skin. Korra was still unsure whether or not Aiko was even old enough to take a bath with or without some sort of supervision, yet either way it was obvious that she had not taken one in a long while and was in desperate need of assistance. As she scrubbed, more sensitive areas of the little earthbender's skin began to turn pink with the unfamiliar sensation, but she did not protest. A thought echoed in the young woman's mind, almost a question, and it made her wonder if her own little girl would have been so cooperative, and if her voice would have had the same sweet melody Aiko's had when she told a story or played with the bubbles on the surface of the water. The child's imagination must have been her only toy, and the thought both saddened and impressed Korra. She knew for certain that if it had not been Mako, it would have been her that had showered their lost child with dolls, plush animals, toy Satomobiles, toy swords, clothes to play dress up with, a tea set, balls to play catch with, and anything else that stretched a young individual's creativity.

"You have the prettiest hair," Korra told her as she admired the glossy sheen that came from Aiko's now clean, soaking locks.

"Thank you, Korra," Aiko's high-pitched voice replied, now comfortable enough with addressing the Avatar by her first name. "I like yours…I think my mommy's was like that."

Korra's heart swelled with compassion. It was the first time Aiko had really mentioned either of her parents, and the mention of being compared to the little girl's mother honored her. "Thank you. You must miss her."

Aiko shrugged once again as Korra helped her stand up and get out of the tub. Pulling the plug, she wrapped a towel around her and ruffled it on top of her hair. "I haven't seen her for almost as long as I can remember. The boys tell me that was four years ago, and I think I'm six now."

"You think?" Korra's blue eyes grew wide. She had never met anyone that did not know exactly how old they were. Even Mako and Bolin knew their own birthdays.

"I might be seven. I think my birthday is spring. It's winter now, though." She shrugged again, and the Avatar swallowed in surprise. Aiko's big, green eyes stared at her with the same innocence that was always present in Bolin's eyes. "Why are you and Mako being so nice to me? Usually people that want to be nice just give me an extra yuan."

"Well," Korra began as she began to comb through the little orphan's long, knotted brown hair. "Mako was an orphan too. He lost his parents when he was really little too, and he would do anything to help the kids on the street. And, so would I. I've seen how it made him turn out, and a lot of who he is a good thing, but I know what he went through as a kid wasn't exactly what anyone would call a good thing. And…a couple of months ago, we lost our little girl."

"I'm sorry," Aiko told her with a great deal of sincerity.

"We're okay, though. It happened really early on, and before we even knew her," Korra tried to reassure her, but it was obvious that Aiko was not really able to wrap her head around it. "I only met her because I have the ability to go into the Spirit World. Avatar Aang showed her to me."

It was now clear to Korra that no matter how Aiko tried, she was still too young to really understand. Although, it was probably difficult for anyone but the Avatar to fully grasp. Deciding that her hair was as untangled as possible, Korra told her that she was going to dry her hair. Aiko's surprised expression when she felt the young woman use airbending to remove the moisture from her hair was absolutely priceless. She had obviously never seen an airbender, after all they had been practically extinct for over one hundred and seventy two years. Korra gave her a devious grin through the mirror and laughed. "Surprise. I'll take you to meet Master Tenzin and his kids soon, and you can see some really cool airbending."

"Really?" Her voice was hopeful as she stared up at the woman almost three times her height in the reflection.

"Definitely!" She said happily as she pulled the pajama shirt over the little one's pretty little head. There was a part of her that was surprisingly hesitant, but for whatever reason, Korra wanted nothing more than to make Aiko happy. "And, if you would like, tomorrow you, Mako, and I could go shopping to get you some new clothes, and maybe a few toys. If you would want to. And, maybe we could ask our friend Asami to come along. You would like her a lot. She has a good eye for clothes."

"That would be great!" Aiko's little face fell. "How would I keep the other kids from stealing them though?"

"You leave that to me." Korra promised as she led her back down the hall into the kitchen.

Aiko's mouth began to water the moment the smell of pan-fried noodles, komodo sausage, dumplings, and vegetable medley filled their nostrils. Mako stood at the stove, putting portions on three different plates. He smiled at the sight of his wife assisting the little girl climb onto one of the chairs surrounding their breakfast table, eagerly awaiting the first meal she would eat in days. The young firebender set the plates down and told her, "Eat as much as you like. Just don't eat to the point that your stomach starts to hurt, okay? You don't want to get sick."

She hardly said a word through her first plate of food. Instead, Mako and Korra told her their own stories to gain her trust, and she listened intently. Starved, Aiko stuffed her face so fast that both adults were almost concerned that she would choke if she didn't slow down. But, neither said anything, knowing that she was suspicious that it could all be taken from her in moments. By the time Korra had nearly finished her first plate, and Mako had finished two of the dishes on his plate, Aiko had almost worked her way through two helpings of everything. Halfway through her meal, though, Korra ran to the bathroom sick, leaving a confused and concerned Mako with a happy-go-lucky little orphan momentarily. However, Korra returned better than ever to finish and take care of the dishes. Content, Aiko leaned back in her chair patting her full stomach, listening to the radio show Mako had turned on for her, as the two adults cleaned up their kitchen, whispering to one another.

"Mako," Korra whispered as she rinsed off a plate. He raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. "I don't want her back out on the street."

"Me neither," He answered, drying the clean dishes. "But, I don't want to put her in an orphanage, either. Those places are just as bad as the streets, and she would hate us forever."

"Are you saying we should keep her?"

"Well, no, not exactly. She could stay with us. I don't know. I mean-I-I'm not sure what to do. We just can't put her back out there in the cold," Mako broke off as Korra briefly pushed her lips against his.

She smiled at him. "I like that idea. We just need to ask her what she wants to do."

"Okay," He said with such a happy smile that the room seemed to brighten up a bit.

Aiko's ears must have been ringing, because her little brunette head peered around the edge of the counter within moments of their conversation. But, they quickly noted that her green eyes were wide with fear and she pointed in the direction of the hallway. "There's a giant polar bear dog walking down the hall!"

"Naga!" Korra called. Within seconds the sound of excited paws padding into the kitchen reverberated off the walls. A big, slobbery tongue swept across the side of the Avatar's face and she chuckled, scratching her pet behind the ears. She looked back down at the frightened little girl. "It's alright. Naga's a real softie. She's my best friend. Yes, you are, you lazy puppy. Did you not hear us come home, girl? You're so lazy. You missed dinner. That's okay, though. We'll get you something. This is Aiko, Naga."

"She won't bite you," Mako told Aiko soothingly as a huge tongue ran up the back of his head. He cringed at the slobbery feeling in his hair, freezing and pouting at the cabinet he was putting dishes away in. The little earthbender let out a squeal of giggles, welcoming Naga's greeting of a sniff and a soft lick on the cheek. She threw her arms around the white polar bear dog's large head in a hug. Jutting his lip out, he gave a sidelong glance at his wife. "I think she just does it to bug me."

* * *

The moment she set foot onto New Future Industries property, she could feel the tension in the air. It was the type of tension that built when the universe was not working in sync. Her surroundings were too still, too quiet. She knew that there were only night guards, and maybe one or two late workers present, but everything was too still. Something inside of her, a soft voice that seemed to hum like her mother's, encouraged her to discover the source of her uneasiness. In the dead of the night, the property lit by the large airstrip lamps, Asami wrapped her hand in her eaqualist glove and broke out into a run across the airstrip and into the factory.

Her whole way over here she had been fuming and trying to calm herself down. She knew Iroh was merely trying to be protective of her, but she hated that feeling. He knew very well that she could and would take care of herself, and the fight between him and Tamal had bother her in more ways than. Who was to say he wouldn't have a similar reaction about something else? Although that had been the first time she had ever seen him be so senseless in picking a fight. But, her mind had cleared the instant she heard approaching sirens.

She knew something was quite right. Her feet practically flew across the pavement, and she burst into the factory-that was designed much like a hangar-fists at the ready. At first glance, nothing looked any different. Things were where they should be. Chains to lift parts were coiled up where they should be, the assembly line had permanently stopped in where the workers had finished, welding equipment and gear were put away where they should be, all of the window and blinds were still in tact, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That is, except for a few small things. The first thing that she noticed was that her office door at the top of the stairs was open, she never left that open, it was always locked when she. The second thing was that papers and blue prints on the sketching table at the very end of the room were in disarray. The third and final thing she noticed were the three individuals figures next to the sketching table.

Asami made a beeline towards them. Two of her night guards crouched the third figure of a man she had known her entire life. He was the one that had taken her under his wing when she was just a little girl, to show her and teach her everything she needed to know about mechanics and life. Her heart skipped up into her throat as she kneeled beside them. "Sasuke, are you alright? What happened?"

The elderly mechanic groaned as he mad an attempt to sit up, only for the two other burly men to insist he remain sitting until the paramedics arrived. He pushed his hand to his rib cage where an ugly, third degree burn had recently marred his flesh and clothes. Regardless of his pain, his smiling brown eyes seemed to light up when he saw her. "How are you sweet pea?"

"What happened Sasuke?" She urged, glad to see that the two night guards had begun work with a first aid kit. "Who did this to you? Are the police on their way?"

"No need to fret over me, sweet pea," Sasuke said, trying to set her mind at ease. "This old man is tougher than he looks. It should be your blue prints and deposits you're a bit more concerned about."

"My blue prints?" Asami asked with nearly as much concern she had for Sasuke. She glanced at the drawing table and was glad to see that the majority of the key components of her newest project were still strewn across the table. The young Sato was never one to draw every component on one set of papers, and so the thieves had taken whichever parts they must have thought looked important. Which thankfully, were not actually important pieces. Asami sighed in relief. If those prints were to fall into the wrong hands of a well-versed mechanic, there would certainly be dangerous repercussions.

Sasuke continued, "They came in so fast, I wasn't sure who they were at first. I'm very sorry, Miss Sato. I tried to stop them, but I'm no bender."

"We heard him yelling from the airstrip. This was our next stop. I ran after them, but their ride was too fast. So, we came in here and found Sasuke. The cops should be here any minute," One of the guards told her.

"Did you get a good look at them?" Her question was open ended for any of them to ask.

"I'm pretty sure they were Agni Kais," The other guard answered solemnly just as the police arrived.

* * *

**Well, they found an orphan! Where will this go? Her name means little loved on in Japanese. And, they struck New Future Industries dun dun dun! What's in store for Asami's company? And what's going to happen with this little strain with Iroh and Asami? And seriously, did any of you guess that Tamal had a thing for Asami? :D Please review! I promise I will have the next chapter up soon this coming week!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Yay! New chapter! I think you guys will like this one! SOme interesting stuff happens! ;) Read, enjoy, and please be so kind as to review for me!**

* * *

'_Dear Korra,_

_That is the most exciting news I have ever heard! I feel a little young for it, but I can't believe-in a good way-that I'm going to be a grandmother! I'm so happy for you and Mako! I asked Katara if she had any recommendations for you, and she said that jasmine tea would work the best to get rid of illness. She plans on visiting Tenzin in a couple of weeks, and I know she'll want to see you. Your father and I plan on coming up to Republic City with her. He cried when he saw your letter. But, don't you start letting your hormones get the best of you. They were tears of joy! Our little girl is going to be a mommy!_

_I completely understand why you're scared. I never had to go through what you had to suffer with, Korra, but I promise it'll be okay. Don't worry about it happening again. Just take care of yourself, and make a conscious effort to stay safe. I know how you are, but try to tone down the recklessness, sweetheart. It's not just you that you're looking after anymore. Remember that. Besides, you have so much to look forward to. Think of that instead._

_Mako is going to absolutely pamper you. I know you're so fiercely independent, but you'll appreciate it on those mornings you're sick, or you feel so uncomfortable that you couldn't care less if anything important gets accomplished. I'm probably making pregnancy sound awful, but that's really not the case. For the majority of it, you'll feel wonderful. And, you'll get all of the attention you could possibly ever want, not to mention eat just about whatever you want._

_Speaking of Mako, it's okay to be nervous about telling him. He may be scared, just like you. But, I know for a fact that above anything else, he'll be so excited. And, he'll be so strong and supportive. He wants a family with you, Korra. I can tell just by how he looks at you. So, my advice is to just tell him when the time feels right. And trust me, sweetheart, you're young, he's young, you'll both be spending plenty of time together in one way or another. So, the opportunity will present itself. Just break it to him straight. Men don't pick up on subtle hints very well, at least your father doesn't. But, he may have even picked up on something already. Especially since you say that you run to the bathroom sick at odd times during the day, and have passed out twice. Another reason not to overdue it, unless of course you need to with your Avatar duties._

_Apparently you needed to the other night, though. How is Asami handling the break-in? She's such a sweet girl. The poor thing doesn't deserve all this extra stress. Have the police gotten on top of the thieves? Do you think the criminals that got caught are only a couple of stand-ins? Lin seems to be on top of that. They sound suspicious, but not like they were the direct instigator or culprit. The search warrant for the Agni Kai's didn't get you anywhere yet? What if it was the Triple Threats, or a business competitor like Cabbage Corp? I'm sure that it'll all turn around and that the thieves will show up. Just let Asami know that we're thinking of her, and that if she ever needs anything, she can always talk to me, or your father._

_That night sounded really busy for you. Aiko sounds like a sweetheart, and a lot like Bolin. You and Mako are so thoughtful for taking her off the streets. I don't want to discourage you from keeping her if that's what you want to do, but it sounds like you are very unsure about what you should do now. I want you and Mako to consider a few things first. Have you asked her what she wants to do? Does she feel like she can't leave, or like she's not wanted? Can you and Mako handle being newlywed and newly pregnant with a six year old that isn't biologically yours on your hands? I don't mean that you couldn't care for her because she isn't technically yours, but you and Mako are young. You are going to want to spend time just with each other before and after your own baby arrives, and it is going to be very difficult to do with a little girl in your care. And you can't ignore her, she's at an age that really needs love and nurturing. How do you plan to support her with a baby on the way? Are you going to be able to divide your attention equally between each other, her, and the baby? Because, you can't deny any of them attention, and at your age and with your duties it's a lot of responsibility to be poured into a learning process. _

_The longer she stays with you, the more attached all three of you are going to become. And you can't put her through the feeling of pain that came from losing parents again. If you are going to give her up, do you have a good home arranged to take her in? Do you feel like the Spirits destined your paths to cross? If that's so, it may not be because she's meant to be your child, but maybe she is. Korra, whatever you decide, you'll be strong enough to achieve. But, please do what is best for Aiko in this case. I would love to meet her regardless of what you pick. She sounds like an amazing kid, and the stories you put in your letter are hilarious. Make sure you get her an earthbending teacher so she doesn't do that too often. _

_Maybe Lin will continue to give her a few lessons. From what you've told me, it sounds like Lin is very interested in taking her in. That surprised me at first, because it's always seemed like Lin never really wanted a family, but I can understand. Lin is probably a little lonely, one child really wouldn't be too difficult for her with the support system she has and her flexible schedule, and she probably wants someone to love and to pass down what she's been taught. Lin is older and has life experience that you and Mako don't have yet. I'm pretty sure that she's a bit more prepared to take care of a six year old. It sounds like Aiko really likes her, too. If you are to give her up, consult Lin. I think she's a smart choice. She's expressed interest, she's already started bonding with her, she has time to give her. If Lin does take her in, don't give Aiko the impression that you don't want her, just that she'll have more opportunity with a woman that will love her very much and will protect her at all costs. Let her know you and Mako are only a phone call away, and that you'll visit often. It seems you and he are the first adults she's really been able to trust in years. Send me a picture of her when you get the chance. Of all of you!_

_I'm so excited to see you! Your father and I have missed you so much! Give Mako our love!_

_We love you so much,_

_Mom and Dad'_

* * *

Korra folded up the parchment her mother's letter was written on in her lap and shoved it into the bottom of her pillowcase. She sighed audibly. Reading anything her mother sent her always brought her the reassurance that no one else really ever knew she needed. Her mother's written voice-and her audible one-always helped her make clear minded decisions. Within two days of receiving it, she had spoken seriously with Lin, and within three, Aiko had a proper home. And, by that time, she had been in their home for almost a week.

* * *

"_I just…Mako and I, we love her already. Really, we do. It's just, I don't have time for it, Tenzin," Korra said as she stared at Avatar Aang Memorial Island across sparkling Yue Bay. The sunset had cleared the clouds from the sky and had tainted the sky pink. A bitter breeze blew and she shivered, but Korra paid no mind._

"_Maybe you should put on your parka," The airbender offered, holding out her blue jacket to her. She grinned at her master beside her, and took it, mumbling a quick thanks. His blue eyes examined her thoughtfully, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders supportively. "What feels right in your heart, Korra?"_

_She narrowed her own baby blues. "Well, I took her in. It feels like she's my responsibility, and giving her up is quitting."_

_Tenzin pursed his lips, as he attempted to say something in a way that the young Avatar would understand. "Well, I would not call it quitting. Lin offered to take her in without anyone even asking. She's going to be so loved with her. She may not look it, but Lin can really be a softie."_

"_I've noticed," Korra chuckled, recalling Mako's amazement when she had given him an extra shot at a training regime that he had been struggling with._

"_It would be very hard to juggle your responsibilities, that little girl, your husband, and if you dropped one there would be serious consequences. It's truly a good thing that you're doing. Lin needs someone to brighten her spirits, and it seems like that little girl needs someone that can provide stability. I'm glad Lin has finally found a match, and to be in the form of Aiko is truly a blessing from the Spirits themselves."_

"_I had thought that, but for once I felt kind of guilty putting myself in the equation." When Tenzin chuckled at how she had finally admitted to being a rather selfish person, Korra threw a small glare at him. Airbending had really helped her become more selfless, but it wasn't her first nature. "I want _my_ time, it's just I feel like I should have given it to Aiko."_

"_Don't think of it that way," Tenzin said comfortingly. "Think of it this way. When Lin comes to pick her up this evening, you'll being doing them both a favor. And…that's what master airbenders do. They give favors."_

_Korra whipped her head around, the sensation causing a bit of dizziness, but at the moment she could care less. He had been tossing the idea of finally mastering all of the elements at her for months, but he had never actually set a date for her to finally take her final airbending test. She had mastered thirty-five of the thirty-six crucial forms of airbending mastery with the last one nearly under her control, and she was more than capable of several Avatar-level forms of airbending, many of which she enjoyed showing off to Tenzin and the kids. Yet, she had never been given any sort of clue as to when she would be given the opportunity to become a fully realized master. The only date that she knew to be set for an airbending test was Jinora's, scheduled for later that very week._

_She let out a hoarse laugh. "Well, I'm not an airbending master."_

"_No, but I was thinking a few days after Jinora perhaps, so she's had enough time for her tattoos to heal. That way she can get some rest while you're preparing, and she can come and watch."_

"_A-are you serious?" Korra practically shouted as she leapt at the man that was literally only a centimeter from her side. She wrapped her arms around him in a gigantic hug, squeezing him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise I won't let you down!"_

"_Please do," He choked out._

"_Huh?"_

"_Please do. Korra, you're suffocating me."_

"_Oh, sorry," She muttered, realizing that she had lifted her former incarnation's son off the ground and had nearly cut off his oxygen supply. Korra grinned sheepishly, took a step back and bowed. "Thank you for your consideration, Master Tenzin."_

_Tenzin smiled and bowed in return to his pupil. It was rare for either of them to use formalities with each other. No matter how much Tenzin had tried to instill the traditional values in Korra, none of his attempts were to any avail. The feisty Avatar was much too friendly and lovable, and so their relationship had grown more into that of an uncle-niece, or rather, a father-daughter. "It's been an honor teaching you, Avatar Korra."_

_He pulled her into an embrace that she happily returned. "But, just because I won't be your airbending master anymore it doesn't mean that Pema and I won't be there for you when you need us. And, the children think of you like their oldest sister. We'll be just across the harbor, a phone call away. So, Pema wants you to promise that you, Mako, Asami, Iroh, and Bolin will visit at least once a week for dinner and a radio show, or game night, or something."_

"_I promise," Korra answered. She knew very well that it had been the wish of the entire family, but the elder airbender was too proud to admit that he had any say in it. The rest of what she said hardly processed through any filter, and she decided to give it a test run. "But, I may be bringing an additional guest pretty soon."_

_Tenzin knitted his dark eyebrows together curiously. "Depending on who it is, they're welcome too I suppose. Please don't bring any gangsters into my home though, Korra."_

"_Oh, ha, um, no gangster. Actually, you don't know them at all," She said with a goofy grin, her voice slowing rising in pitch from masked nervousness._

"_Is it that Verick character? Or, Tamal?" _

"_Ha, well, family settings really aren't Verick's cup of tea. And, Tamal is always busy." Her voice finally cracked as it achieved an entire octave higher than its normal pitch. Korra's upper body moved animatedly as she spoke, trying to explain what she was saying. She threw her hands up in a shrug, then out towards him with her shoulders following, and then held her hands close to her collarbones and pointed downwards. The Avatar spoke faster than Ikki, "But see, I don't really know them either. At least, not yet. I will later. Well, we all will later. _I _just don't know them because they're, well, _inside_ of me."_

_Korra shut her mouth the instant she finished what she had to say, and stared at him with wide eyes. His lack of response, and his shocked, blinking, blue eyes began to create a sense of disappointment for her. For a brief moment, as the surprise ebbed away, his face became quite red with fury. And, Korra realized that he was fully prepared to unleash his wrath upon Mako. No father liked to think of his daughter as sexually active, even if it was with her husband. But, he breathed out, his eyes lingering on Korra's betrothal necklace that she had worn every second of every day since it had been given to her, for a reminder. _

_A tender smile graced his lips, and a few stray tears trailed down his cheeks from his warm, blue eyes. He collected the girl that was just like his eldest child into his arms in a loving, protective embrace. To his relief, she didn't squeeze the life out of him this time, but instead returned his hug compassionately. Patting her back, he whispered, "They'll be welcome anytime. Congratulations, Korra."_

* * *

"_What's gonna happen to me after Miss Lin comes to get me?" The green eyed little girl asked, clutching a stuffed rabaroo, a gift from Lin, tightly to her chest._

_She and the twenty-year old firebender stood in his kitchen awaiting the arrival of Korra and Lin Beifong. Both were due there within ten minutes, and Lin was always punctual. A trunk of her new belongings was placed in the corner of the parlor and the entryway, but Aiko seemed a little uneasy glancing at it for extended periods of time. Instead, she clung close the police sergeant as he rummaged through cabinets to prepare her a snack._

_Mako knelt down in front of her and smiled, placing his strong hands on her shoulders. Aiko, having been under the firebender and the Avatar's care for the last six days, now looked healthy, clean, and happy. She had put on a much needed five pounds, her complexion was richer, her knotted hair had been trimmed and combed through, and her clothes were soft and new. Over the time they had spent with her, she had become more open and had already formed a bond with the air family, Bolin, Asami, Iroh, and the Chief of Police. Now, though, she looked anxious and unsure of her future, and Mako did his best to comfort her. _

"_You'll be headed back to Miss Lin's house to stay with her from now on. She's going to take such good care of you, and she's going to love you so much, Aiko. Miss Lin already thinks you're the most amazing kid ever. You're going to love it there. She'll teach you earthbending, maybe even metalbending. I mean how cool is that? And you can teach stuff that you've learned. She'll take you to school everyday you have to go, and be there to pick you. She'll be there to tuck you in at night, and she'll take you shopping. You'll have an amazing experience growing up with her, kiddo. I promise." _

_Aiko knitted her eyebrows together. "So it's not that you and Korra want to get rid of me?"_

_The firebender's heart ached from this little girl's ability to make him lose his stoic demeanor and become a vulnerable little orphan once again. She had asked this question indirectly once before, and he had not been prepared for it. This time he had a feeling about what he should say without completely ruining this little one's developing trust. "No, sweetie. That's not it at all. Korra and I just know that Miss Lin will be able to take much better care of you. We just don't really have the resources or experiences that she does, and we just aren't ready yet. Don't think for a minute that Korra and I don't care about you, because we do. We care very much, and we'll always be there when you need us."_

"_Is she…Am I being adopted?" She did not put too much hope or any other feeling into the question. Life on the streets had prepared her for a lifetime of disappointments._

"_Not if you don't want her to," He answered with a grin that she broadly returned._

_The entryway door opened and closed abruptly as Aiko buried herself into the young mans embrace. Mako heard his wife announce her presence, and he smiled. He closed his eyes and stroked Aiko's long hair as Korra's footsteps made their way into the kitchen. Aiko pulled back and ran into the waterbender's awaiting arms, shoving her face into the nape of the young woman's neck. Korra wound her fingers in the little earthbenders chocolate hair, and looked up at her husband with a sad smile. She mouthed inaudibly to him, 'Lin's here.'_

_The older orphan nodded, and turned back to the cabinets to pull out a sack of fire gummies for Aiko to take or eat now. Her green eyes widened at the sight of the candy and a huge, appreciative grin spread across her face. She stuffed a fistful in her mouth, and put the rest in her pocket for safe keeping, hardly able to chew. A knock sounded at the door and the two had to laugh at the expectant look that came along with stuffed cheeks. "Ez dat Miz Leh?"_

_She followed Korra to the entryway, and when the door opened to reveal the Republic City Chief of Police, the little girl waved animatedly. Lin's green gaze flickered between her soon to be adopted daughter and the Avatar with a look that said 'She's going to choke.' The world renowned Beifong smiled in greeting, and kindly said, "Hello Korra. Hello Aiko. How are you?"_

_Aiko swallowed the remaing gummies in her mouth and took in a large breath. "Great! I drew a picture for you! Wanna see?"_

_The little girl didn't wait for a response, but instead tore down the hallway. Lin stepped inside with a smile. She had never been very good with children, but it seemed that Aiko had taken a liking to her. Her discomfort for the unfamiliar made her a bit wary of how their first few days together were going to be, but she prayed to the Spirits that Aiko would not mind living with a grumpy, middle-aged woman that had a tough time showing her inner emotions. Thankfully, it seemed that Aiko, once she had developed enough trust, could really get along with just about anyone._

_Her eyes flickered to the ground where she saw a familiar figure round the corner. His crop top, jacket, and scarf had been removed and were hanging on the coat rack. He carried a medium sized travelling trunk in one hand, and he gave a smirk in greeting. Lin narrowed her eyes at him. "Mako, unless you want to get written up, please don't let anymore children stuff their faces to the point that they could choke."_

_Though he desperately wanted to, he didn't dare roll his golden eyes. Setting the trunk down, he responded with a nod. "Yes, ma'am."_

"_Here it is!" A tiny voice called, shortly followed by an itty-bitty earthbender zooming around the corner waving pieces of parchment in the air. Behind her was a gigantic polar bear dog that had become fast friends with her. With a broad grin she handed one to Lin and hid the other behind her back._

_A rough drawing of a figure that was supposed to Lin held the hand of a much younger looking little girl. From what the three adults could decipher; they were walking in a park, eating ice cream, rainbows and the sun smiled in the background, what looked like a dragon flew above in the sky, and the two figures seemed to be using metalbending to take down a few criminals. Lin raised her eyebrows, unsure of how to respond at first. But, the gesture was so genuine that she had to smile back at the little girl. "It's fantastic, Aiko. Thank you very much. How about you hold onto it for me until we get home?"_

"_Okay!" She thrust the one behind her back out to Mako and Korra. The newlyweds took it with gratitude and surprise. All over were pictures of the three and a large figure that they presumed to be Naga. "I wanted to give you and Naga this one."_

"_It's beautiful, Aiko," Mako replied, giving her positive feedback regardless of how much his first instinct told him to critique. Appreciatively Aiko gave him on more hug and kissed his cheek. The firebender's face turned a bit red in surprise, and she pulled back to shove her face into Naga's neck fur._

_The big polar bear dog licked the side of her face gently and she whispered in her floppy ear. "I'll miss you too, Naga."_

_Last to receive their hug was Korra. The young woman pulled the little girl into one more hug for the day, and kissed the top of her head. For a brief moment she could not help but wonder how life would have been if Aiko had become her own child's big sister. "You call us anytime you want to talk, alright?"_

_The little girl nodded, "Bye, Korra."_

"_Bye, Aiko." She released the little earthbender that she had found cold, hungry, alone, and desperately in need of loving home; and watched her take the hand of a great woman who would be an even greater mother._

* * *

Korra had just sent a reply back to her mother, telling her exactly what had happened. It had been two days since they had let Aiko go, and from the check-ins with Lin, she seemed to be doing just fine, wonderfully even. And, though the decision had been tough at first, she felt as though a gigantic weight of worries had been lifted off of her chest. Now, she had time to focus on all of the other aspects of her life.

She had met with the council yesterday to discuss the improvement of orphanages, and the children in their car. And, she had tried to squeeze in time to speak with them about a crack down on felonies committed by gangs. That afternoon she had gone to Air Temple Island to touch up on a few airbending techniques, and afterwards, she had gone to visit Asami to see if there was anyway she could help.

The Sato heiress had become rather stressed out over her break-in, and had made sure that she had a tighter security force as she tried to work back what had been stolen from her. She had been glad to see that it was Korra offering her assistance, because while she brought in an atmosphere of light-heartedness, she also brought in a serious determination. At one point, the Avatar had even managed to lure her away from the paperwork and onto the track for a quick test drive of the improved model that would soon be released to the public. Yet, immediately afterwards, Asami had reburied herself in her mountain of deskwork, and rejected anymore help Korra offered. A bit disheartened, she vowed that she would be back the next morning, and made Asami swear that she would go home soon.

That following morning, Korra's first mission was to visit Iroh. She found him at the docks on base, in uniform, pacing with his head overloaded with too many thoughts. He was more anxious than she had ever seen him, and it was revealed that he hadn't had a glass of tea since Asami had mistakenly thrown a wrench at him the day after her warehouse's break in. Apparently, it had been an accident that she had nearly given him a welt the size of Mount Makapu, but nonetheless they had exploded into a heated argument that ended poorly. When Korra had asked if he had returned to New Future Industries to at least check on her, and he said that he had but had only been sent away each time by an employee, she chucked a large brick of bent snow at his face.

Both insulting and encouraging him, Korra had given him a ride on Naga up to New Future Industries. When Asami saw him, she scowled bitterly, but continued to work away at her new blue prints. Only her employees had looked up from their work when Iroh decided to march up to her, spin her around, and give the woking woman the kiss of a lifetime. At first Asami tried to protest and return to her work, but eventually gave in when Iroh refused to give up. He pulled her close and apologized, and she held his face tenderly, letting the man she loved more than anything know that he was already forgiven. Initially everyone thought it was sweet, but when she kissed him a bit more deeply, some of her employees began to look away in embarrassment, and Korra gagged. They jumped apart like two teenagers, red in the face. Korra merely winked suggestively, and excused herself to see where she might be needed.

Around noon she had met up with Bolin and Mako, who had just finished his shift, for lunch at Narook's. The three chattered and laughed as though they were all still probending teammates celebrating their most recent win. But, both brothers had given her odd looks when she turned slightly green at the sight of her two-headed fish soup, a typical favorite of hers. Unable to even handle the smell anymore, she had excused herself and let Mako know that she would meet him at home. Although both the fabulous bending brothers were highly confused and concerned, she had insisted they stay. And now, Korra sat on her side of the bed with Naga's head in her lap, a cup of jasmine tea in her hand, and the radio playing softly.

Already, she was so sick of emptying her stomach on what felt like a daily basis, but she had to admit that the jasmine tea was really helping, along with the banana and leechi nuts she had practically forced herself to digest. She scratched her pet polar bear dog behind the ears. "Are you bored, Naga?"

The white animal cocked her head to the side almost as if she disagreed. "I feel like I'm boring you. Sorry for being sick the last couple of weeks, girl. I hope this all ends pretty soon. Mom said it was supposed to. We'll see how that goes. As soon as I feel better today, how about you and I and Mako go out for a stroll in the park. Maybe we can play catch, or fish like we're not supposed to."

Naga licked her hand comfortingly, and the Avatar smiled at her. "So, what do you think Naga? A boy, or a girl? Yeah, I don't know either. How about a bender? Non, fire, or water? It's pretty hard to guess, huh? Well, are you at least excited for a little tyke crying in the middle of night, and waking you up?"

She wagged her tail and perked her ears up, panting happily. Korra laughed, "Yeah, me too. I'm a little concerned though, Naga. What if this next one ends just like the other? I really don't want to go through that again. Do you?"

"You won't have to ever have to go through that again." A cracking, disbelieving voice made her jump, and spin her head around to see who had intruded on her private moment with her pet. Her heart pounded rapidly when she looked into shining amber eyes. How much had he heard? The young man in the white tank top and black wool knickers walked around to her side of the bed, took her glass of tea out of her hand, placed it on the dresser, and squatted on the bed in front of her. Mako grasped her hand tightly, and looked at her pleadingly. "Korra, I promise I won't ever let you get hurt like that again. Not ever."

She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue whatever he had left to say, still unsure what all he had heard. How she not noticed his presence in the doorway? He swallowed nervously, and kissed the palms of her hands both out of affection, and to hide his face partially. "But, I was wondering…if you wanted to, and only when you're ready…if you maybe…wanted to start trying for a baby. I want you to get well first, I mean you're starting to scare me with the throwing up and all. But, I wanted to know if you want to start trying?"

Korra laughed. She couldn't help it, and soon enough her chortles were out of control. So, he really was clueless. He had only connected the dots to the point of realizing she was scared of losing a child. Realizing that his face was beginning to shift from concerned, to disheartened, to angry, she tried to control her fits of giggles, but simply couldn't. He tugged his hands away and stood, his face distorted with hurt and fury. Crossly, he hissed, "Well if you didn't want to, you could have just said so."

He turned abruptly on his heel and began to storm out of their room. Gently, but urgently, and still giggling a little bit, Korra removed her lap from beneath Naga's head, and sped off after him. She was surprised by how far he had gotten down the hallway, and propelled herself with airbending to catch up to him. She leapt onto his back, so that she clung to him piggyback style. Mako grunted in irritation, "Get off, Korra."

As his hands struggled to remove her arms around his neck and chest, she pushed her feet into the back of knees, bringing him to the ground. He continued to struggle, growing more and more annoyed, and grasped her left leg with one arm. Mako pulled on it, scooting her forward and releasing the pressure of her grasp. She moved with the motion and pulled him down on top of her. Her legs around his waist, she flipped them over so that she pinned him down. They wrestled around on their parlor floor like children, Korra giddy with laughter, and Mako literally fuming with frustration.

Pinning his hands to his sides by grasping his wrists, she exclaimed, "You're such an idiot!"

"And you're a jerk!" Mako spit back, only to have her lips crash against his own. A part of him wanted to surrender to it, but another part told him to continue fidgeting.

"Mako. Mako! Stop it!" She warned light-heartedly, finally gaining his attention. He huffed, his temper seething. Korra moved so that her face was hovering over his, and she gave him an arrogant smirk, knowing that her cockiness both irked and confused him. "We don't _have_ to try."

"So," He began giving her a begrudging look. "You don't _want_ to make love anymore?"

"No, I never said that," Korra argued. She shook her head exasperatedly, wolftails flapping, giving him a small smile. Her voice became tender "Mako…I'm pregnant."

Mako's amber eyes grew wide, and she felt his muscles and strain go limp beneath her. Shock rolled off of him just like the steam before had. Bewildered, he breathed, "I-I guess I really am an idiot."

Korra grinned, "No, you're just too stubborn to listen."

Unsuspectingly, Mako wrapped his arms around her, and gently rolled himself into a sitting position where she straddled him on his lap. He looked up at her in amazement, and then at her torso in front of him. His hand lingered between them as though he was unsure what to reach for. Meeting her questioning blue eyes, he decided to carefully grasp the back of her head and bring her lips down to his own. She sighed in relief as he held her tightly against his chest, and ran her fingers through his tusseled, short black hair. Mako laughed slightly between kisses. "Why didn't you just say so in the first place?"

She chuckled against his tender lips, "You wouldn't listen."

Breaking off another kiss, he apologized, "I'm sorry. I will next time."

"No you won't," She teased, giving him one more peck. "Besides, this was so much more fun."

"Yeah, yeah." He said with a smile, pulling back to look her in the eye. "So, we're gonna have a baby?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna have a baby."

His heart was on verge of exploding with happiness, and carefully he pushed his big hands against her hips on the fringe of her tunic. His hands glided upwards, lifting her shirt slowly above her pelvis, then above her belly button, and stopping just below her wrappings. He gazed in awe at her well toned stomach, and gently ran to of his forefingers down her sternum, around her belly button, and trailed back and forth along the lowest part. Sure enough, a tiny lump of great firmness had begun to form there. If he hadn't have know, he probably wouldn't have even noticed. Perhaps he may have wondered if his wife was beginning to gain weight, but sure as the Spirits themselves, was the small bump growing inside her that carried their baby.

Mako's jaw parted slightly with disbelief, and he looked up at Korra, who had eyes only for him. She scooted off of him, still holding her shirt up, reclined her head against the sofa, and directed him to follow her. Lovingly, she grasped both of his hands and placed them both against her lightly swelling belly. It was the strangest, yet most amazing thing he had ever felt in his entire life. Hesitantly, he lowered his face to her lower abdomen and gently placed his lips against it. Quietly, he muttered to the little bump, "I love you."

They were going to have a baby. Over the course of the next few months, a tiny little person would continuously grow inside of her until he or she was ready to emerge into the waking world. A new sensation of paternal instincts overcame Mako at the thought of holding a tiny copy of Korra in his arms. A tear slipped down his cheek as he lifted hi face back up to his wife's. He pulled her into his strong arms with all the love in his heart. "Thank you so much, Korra."

* * *

"We didn't get caught boss. They let us go. There was nothing on us," The man in the passenger seat of the car said. "I'd say that's all that mattered."

Crackles Charan nodded contemplatively, "Yeah, but it got a little too messy for Two-Face. Burning people just isn't okay if you can help it."

The man sighed and rolled his eyes, looking at the window. Unbeknownst to the man beside him, Charan looked at the other Red Pole in the backseat. Driving up alongside the pier, Crackles put the car in park, closely followed by another Agni Kai car. He pulled out his kiseru and opened the driver's side door. "I need to speak with the Sizzler real quick."

Shutting the door behind him, Crackles lit his kiseru and walked away from the car that resonated muffled screams of pain. He marched over to Sahen, who had been given the same job by Two-Face. Relaxed and unfazed by the murders of the Blue Lanterns in their Satomobiles, he scratched the tip of his nose.

* * *

**Those Agni Kais really aren't nice guys. I just have this headcanon that while the Triple Threats are the most powerful, they're the most vicious triad in Republic City. I'm glad I got to incorporate a bit of a connection between Korra and her parents even if it was through a letter. How did you like Tenzin's reaction to the news? Did anyone suspect Lin as a candidate? I really think that it's about time Jinora earns her ****tattoos and Korra gets to finally become a master airbender! How did you guys like the little scuffle between Mako and Korra? I thought it was damn fricken adorable. And I really tried not to have anyone go OOC, please let me know if I did. **

**Who else is fricken stoked for Makorra family week in October and i am so celebrating through drawings on deviant art and writings here. Hey, another thing. If you guys could go take a look at my other fic, 'The Life and Love of Asami Sato and General Iroh' and recommend some prompts for me, i would love you forever! Thanks so much!**


	18. Chapter 18

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, I know. But, what I had to say all came out in this chapter, and what I had left to say really didn't flow with this one. It all fit in better with the next chapter. Well, this chapter is pretty exciting I think, and I hope you all enjoy it as well. Please review!**

* * *

Music played softly in their room from the streets below, resonating the sounds of relaxing love songs. The partially open window let a cool breeze into the dark apartment, but neither of them really minded. The satin sheets and blankets were comforting and warm on top of their feather stuffed mattress. And their proximity to one another, along with the love burning in their hearts, created a heat that enveloped them both. Each rested their heads on their own pillows, perhaps a mere six inches apart. No words were spoken between them, but there was no need for such things, their connection ran on a much deeper level. Every once in a while, one would smile at the other, but that was as close to verbal as either of them got.

Blue eyes bore lovingly into amber, and neither could or would look away. When a strand of her brunette hair waved in the light breeze, his strong, gentle fingers pushed it back behind her ear. For a moment, he ran his fingers through her long, chocolate locks, and then released them to grasp her small, strong hand between them. He smiled slightly, unable to look anywhere but at the beauty before him. Unable to resist, he kissed her forehead, subliminally informing her that it was okay to fall asleep now. The young man smiled as she shut her eyes, and scooted a bit closer to her. He extracted his arm from under his pillow, reached above and around her, and protectively put his hand on the back of her hair.

His heart swelled with pride for his wife, the newest airbending master on the face of the Earth. That morning, she had completed every form of airbending successfully, watched closely by her friends, family, Lin, Aiko, and newly arrived Katara and parents. She had been quite relieved that she was not required to receive any airbending Master tattoos, especially after watching Jinora receive her own. The poor girl had obviously been in so much pain from the process that she did not have any smart reply for anyone the entire day. Her head was temporarily clean-shaved, much to both her pride and embarrassment, but her new arrows contrasted splendidly against her fair skin. Of course, at the moment the preteen felt too awful to really care what anyone else thought, and did her best to either stand or lounge on her frontside. Both Meelo and Rohan had been amazed by both their sister's and the Avatar's tests, and were more than eager to finally reach their own. However, Ikki, regardless of being excited, was also quite nervous, fully aware that hers would be next. Yet, none of the children had been permitted to watch Jinora receive her tattoos, for fear that they would reject the painful idea.

Afterwards, Pema and Mako had prepared a celebratory late lunch-early dinner for everyone. Having told Mako over five days ago, and Tenzin eight days ago, Korra finally decided that it was time to spill the beans to everyone else that was not already informed. She had announced it just as everyone had begun their meals. Asami's green eyes had grown wide, and she froze with a pair of chopsticks hanging in her mouth. Bolin had spit out his food, turned to his sister-in-law, embraced her, and squealed with excitement about being an uncle. Her two friends had hugged her so tightly in congratulations that they had to be peeled off by a less outgoing Iroh. Pema had nearly spilt tears with happiness. The General and Chief of Police had congratulated her warmly, but in their own stoic manners. The children, though Jinora knew exactly how it had happened, and Ikki had a vague idea, were more than curious as to how such a thing had managed to make its way inside of Korra. Rohan had even asked a question in Meelo's place, curious if she had eaten something that made a baby grow inside of her. His naïve innocence had everyone laughing, and a round of congratulations circulated the family crowd. Though Katara, Tenzin, and her parents already knew, they had still given her their own loving hugs

Banter carried back and forth making guesses as to the sex of the child, its bending abilities, and recommending names. Meelo and Aiko argued over whether it would be a boy or girl extensively, even threatening to get into their own bending battle over the issue. Their childish feud only ended when Lin and Tenzin stepped in to separate them, exchanging disbelieving looks. Asami and Iroh had stolen fleeting kisses when they thought no one was looking, and Mako was even positive that Asami had said something about having something like that one day. By the time Rohan and Jinora, who still felt ill from receiving all of her tattoos, had gone to bed, they had all said their farewells. Bolin, Lin and Aiko, Iroh, and Asami headed off the island to their own homes, and Korra, Mako, and her parents headed towards the newlyweds flat.

The whole way there, Tonraq had dropped constant, subtle reminders to his son-in-law that he had made a commitment to take care of his little girl no matter what. Part of it had been done simply as joke, but there was also a fraction of the Water Tribe man's darkly humored words that held true. Senna had teased her husband to calm the young father-to-be down, and looped her arm through the firebender's in an act of compassion. Mako smiled at the gesture, feeling quite a bit better from his mother-in-law's sweet disposition. It wasn't that he and Tonraq didn't love one another. In fact they got along splendidly, evening going on day long hunting trips with Bolin on their visits to the Water Tribe, telling stories and laughing. Tonraq had in a way become like a fun-loving, man's man father figure to the boys, with Tenzin in the place of a more philosophical patriarch. The fact of the matter was that it was simply frightening to receive continuous, subtle threats from his father-in-law, even with the Avatar as a wife. Korra's mother had rolled her eyes and kissed Mako's cheek reassuringly, and Korra had punched her father's shoulder playfully.

That night was one of the handful of times that they had gone to bed without physically making love. It simply felt uncomfortable and disrespectful to succumb to their hormones with Korra's parents in the guest room just next door to their own bedroom, a place where they would be easily heard. Besides, they both knew that having sex was not the only way to make love. So, they lay next to each other in silence. Not once daring to break it, as though they were afraid it would shatter into a million peices. The moment they had developed, unable to take their eyes off of one another, was far too tender. And, it had not even been broken when Korra drifted gently into slumber.

Inhaling, Mako placed a kiss on the crown of her forehead once more. A smile broke out across his brooding features as he gazed at her in the dark. He was going to be a father, and she was to be the mother of his children. Nothing in the world could replace the value he held in these two people, absolutely nothing at all. He would willingly lay down his life for them, and if the situation arose he would not hesitate to act. As he allowed his thoughts to run amuck, fears had boiled in his core. They nagged with questions of how he planned to support his family, if he would be a good father, would be able to protect their child, and if the child would love him in return. Mako tried to reject the thoughts, and did his best to focus on all that was yet to come. He had so much to look forward to, and what he looked forward to most at the moment was meeting their child for the first time with Korra. However, no matter how hard he tried to conjure the image in his mind, gnawing anxiety was beginning to severely attack his heart.

Careful not disturb his now slumbering wife beside him, he lightly ran the back of his fingers across her soft, bronze cheek, pushing her mocha hair out of her eyes. He smiled at how heavy a sleeper she actually was, and sat up in bed. The covers slipped down into his lap and past her waist. With gentle hands, he slowly pulled up the bottom of her night slip over her belly. He turned in his place, and slid back off the bed slightly so that the balls of his feet were on the ground and his torso was strewn across his side of the mattress. His face eyelevel with her little, swollen belly, Mako placed his big, pale, knobby knuckled hand against it. Their skin contrasted in color, but the full moon outside gave them both a milky glow to their complexions.

Something about the way her rounded abdomen felt could not get past him. The place where his unborn child slept transfixed him into a sort of hypnosis. Mako had seen a few pregnant women before, and he realized that most were in the springtime, which meant a lot of potential earthbenders. Living on the streets had brought him face to face with all kinds of people, and from a child's perspective he had believed that pregnancy appeared very uncomfortable, both for the women carrying the extra weight in their stomachs and for their tired looking husbands. Now, though, he really understood just how beautiful it actually was, terrifying, but all the more enchanting.

Since the day she told him, all he would reach for was her abdomen. When they had work off and they could relax at home, Korra would lie on the sofa for a short while and close her eyes from extreme fatigue, one delicate always on her belly due to her newest habit of protectively holding it. Mako would kneel on the carpet beside her with his elbows on the cushions and caress the steadily growing spot. Sometimes he would whisper to it, and shower it with little butterfly kisses when she had fallen asleep. And, he always smiled when he caught her talking to her stomach too. Even though he was fairly sure the fetus was incapable of hearing them just yet, the idea that the sooner he or she recognized their voices the better, was refreshing.

The size of her belly completely surprised him. He had been shocked to discover that she had certainly grown in a week's time. By no means did she look _really_ pregnant, but she was _obviously _in the earlier stage of pregnancy. Even the top of her abdomen had begun to slope diagonally to support the growing lump on the bottom. According to the healer two weeks ago, she had was probably right around eight weeks pregnant with a due date of the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the next year. But, now at ten weeks, Mako was certain that she looked more like someone who was thirteen or fourteen weeks along. However, that would have been nearly impossible, because thirteen weeks ago Korra had still been _recovering_ from her miscarriage. Perhaps, the obstetric healer that they would see the next day would be able to answer any and every question that they had.

Katara had felt Korra's swollen belly that afternoon. She had told her just how strong the baby already felt, and that she and Mako were in for a handful. Her cryptic form of speech had both consoled him and put him on edge a bit. He was relieved that old lady's intuition had been words of comfort, but somewhere in his mind a little voice told him that even strong babies could lose in a battle for life. The memory made him shudder, and he reopened his, having not realized that they had closed in the first place. His ambers gazed pleadingly out the window, up at the full moon shining bright on them.

Though he was no waterbender, and did not have a drop of Water Tribe blood running though his veins, for whatever reason the moon soothed him. A small, relieved grin tugged at the edges of his lips, and he sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Moon Spirit, making it the second prayer that evening that he had used a prayer to converse with that particular spirit. Placing a light kiss on Korra's pregnant belly, he pulled the sheet back over her, and walked down the hall, suddenly thirsty. He was caught off guard to find Senna doing the exact same thing. In her motherly fashion, she smiled and handed him her own full glass and pulled out a new one for herself.

Hushed she whispered, "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Mako shook his and leaned back on the counter across from her. The entire kitchen and parlor room were lit only by the full moon that cast a blue-white glow on everything that she touched. "No, it's not that. Are you?"

Senna shook her head in return. "Just thirsty."

Mako looked over her shoulder to the fire escape, awed by the beauty of the haunting, luminous glow. "The moon is beautiful tonight, did you see?"

"Being a waterbender makes it a little hard not to notice," Senna chuckled. "It's almost how you feel with the sun rising, or when a comet passes close by. But, yes, sweetheart, I agree with you. It is beautiful."

The firebender pursed his lips slightly, unsure of how to say what he wanted to. But, this was his beloved mother-in-law, there was no way to say the wrong thing to her. "Korra asked me to pray with her tonight, to the moon."

Senna smiled knowingly. "The moon spirit was friends with Korra's past life."

Mako fidgeted slightly. The concept of Korra's past lives still was not something he was used to. She was the Avatar, yes, so the earth's spirit would go from her body to the next in the elemental lineup. Yet, Mako firmly believed that Korra, his Korra, was also her entirely own person. She was not Aang, she was not Roku, she was not Kyoshi, she was not Kuruk, she was not Yangchen, she was not the same as any of her past lives. They all just shared something in common. They shared being the most powerful person in the universe, a deep spiritual connection that they all passed down to one another, but they were all their own individual persons. Suddenly, a thought came to mind, wondering if Aang had chosen to pass on the Avatar's spirit to Korra, or if it had picked her by fate.

"Princess Yue," Senna continued explaining. She wasn't big on talking about her daughter's past lives ass if they owned Korra either, and viewed it very similarly to her son-in-law. "Was a friend of Avatar Aang's who sacrificed herself to save the former spirit, Tui. So, I suppose it would make sense that she'd have a soft spot for her friend's descendants, or their reincarnations. And, as the Moon Spirit, Yue sort of has a responsibility for looking out for women, just like Agni does for men. Yue's job entails protecting mothers; expecting and not expecting, and their children; unborn and born. I think Korra wants her blessing."

* * *

"Are you excited?" She chattered, tugging him along the sidewalk. Korra walked in reverse, grasping both of his hands in her. She had walked this way nearly the whole time, practically dragging her husband the whole way there with her enthusiasm. Her bright, cobalt eyes shone with curiosity and exhilaration. But, Mako could not help but wonder if it was a mask. Sometimes it was so hard to tell with Korra. She tended to bottle up negative emotions until they burst out in an explosion of tears and anger.

If it wasn't a façade, he had no choice but to believe it was real. How could she not be scared in the slightest? He most certainly was, but he was not about to let her know that. If he had been honest, he would have asked what would happen if they couldn't hear a heartbeat. But, this was the safer lie to tell, "Absolutely."

When they stepped inside of the medical office inside the downtown hospital, he noticed that they were not the only couple in the room. As she tugged him along at her side, he made eye contact with a few fathers to be. One, a man next to a very tired very pregnant young woman, gave him an exasperated expression as if to cynically wish him luck. Another with a wife around the size of Korra, obviously early on, gave him an excited look that could have given Bolin a run for his money. The last held a little girl in his lap, rubbing his wife's medium-sized swollen gave him a tired smile. He could see in the man's amber eyes that he thought all of those sleepless nights were worth it.

Mako grinned back, and silently thought, 'Hopefully we'll get that far.'

By the time they were called back his nerves were wracking, and he was grateful that he had trained himself from an early age to be as stoic as possible. He snickered when Korra stuck her hand up in front of the number on the scale she stood on, and she glared at him. "You don't need to see what I weigh."

"Korra," He chuckled as the nurse jotted down numbers and stuck a thermometer in her mouth. "You're pregnant! You're _supposed _to gain weight."

She jutted out her lip sourly, and aimed a kick straight at his shin, and he yelped in protest. Rubbing the tender spot under his knickers, he sat down across from her in the small office. They stared at each other daringly, waiting for the other to make a move of retaliation. The nurse doing Korra's general physical smiled at the couple's dynamics, confident that in the very least they would make interesting parents. She left them briefly with a promise that the doctor would be in to see her soon.

The woman that came in introduced herself as Healer Thuy. She asked Korra basic questions about her eating habits, if she still had morning sickness, her daily habits, her exercise, reaffirmed her due date, asked her medical and family history, feminine patterns, birth history of her family, herbal medications she was taking, and to think about how and where she wished to deliver. Afterwards, she ran a physical, drawing blood and urine. Next she gave her counsel, "Now, I don't know if you're an avid drinker or smoker, but we've been conducting some studies recently that reveal that it might not be the best thing for expectant mothers or their children. So, I would recommend doing your best to avoid those habits. I'd like you to eat a balanced diet so that you and the baby will be getting enough nutrition everyday. Make sure you eat a full, meal full of lots of vitamins and minerals. We don't want you becoming anemic, or anything like that. Don't over eat, but eat what I have planned out for you and the baby. Definitely do not under eat."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that," Mako snorted, giving his scowling wife a wry grin.

Healer Thuy chuckled at the Avatar's look of mock displeasure, a little surprised that her husband was still getting away with such comments. But, by the look in Korra's eyes it was evident that she was sending him a silent threat from her hormones. Thuy cleared her dry throat and continued, setting her hand on her patient's knee supportively. "If you ever feel any sort of depression, don't hesitate to call and we can arrange something for you. Now, how about we get a good listen at that heartbeat."

As the healer picked up her stethoscope off of the counter, Korra reached her hand out to Mako and he took it willingly with a gentle squeeze. All playful animosity aside, tenderness and support were all they offered to one another. Mako leaned down beside her and kissed her crinkled nose. She smiled up at him as the doctor pulled up her tunic over the rounded little lump. Korra flinched slightly, surprised at just how freezing the metal end was, and Thuy smiled.

"Sorry, it's a little cold," The healer apologized. She was silent, as were the two expecting parents before her as she ran the end of the stethoscope from one location to the next. The two youngsters practically held their breath in anticipation when she came to rest at one particular spot. Thuy pursed her lips in thought, her brown eyes barely readable. Mako's own heart beat rose in anxiety and he could feel his wife's pulse quicken in the palm of his hand. What if there was nothing there at all? How could he let Korra go through a loss like that again? When Thuy took off her earpieces and gave a loud chuckle, they both jumped. Her brown eyes were smiling as she held the stethoscope against the particular spot on Korra's belly. She extended the headphones to Korra. "Would you two like to take a listen?"

Korra bobbed her head up and down ecstatically, grabbing them from her. Generously, she gave one end of the flexible instrument to Mako, and placed the other in her own ear. Closing his eyes, Mako pushed his head against hers and listened, awaiting the sound anxiously. He breathed in, surprised how much everything seemed to echo with the piece in his ear. What he noticed echoing the most was so small, yet so powerful, he dropped his jaw in disbelief. There inside of his beloved wife was a tiny, sturdy, '_Thud, thud, thud.'_

He left out a breath of excitement, bewildered by the miniature sound. A wave of emotions overcame him, yet he did not allow them to overpower him just yet. Mako looked at Korra, curious to know if she had heard what he had. He laughed slightly from the childish expression on her face, and she jumped, slamming a hand to her ear. Wrenching the device out of her head, she gave him a half-hearted glare, "Ow!"

He chuckled, unable to return her playful hostility. Instead he succumbed to the wish to taste her tan lips. She giggled, conflict forgotten, "You heard him?"

"Him?" He hiccupped with a laughing sob. "Don't you mean her?"

"No, we're having a little boy that'll look just like his daddy. Most likely a fire bender too."

"And, what makes you think you can decide what she'll be?" He teased.

"Mother's intuition," She snapped back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"They could be either," Healer Thuy added, smiling at the happy couple.

"Well, I'm pretty sure _she's _a girl," Mako added with a grin.

Healer Thuy chuckled and shook her head. She clapped her hands together warmly. "No, dear, I think you misunderstand what I mean. I said _they_ could be either, as in your _children_. Didn't you hear the two heartbeats? You two are having twins."

"WHAT?" Korra nearly shouted with what should have been a comical face, had she not been so caught off guard. Forcefully, she wrenched the other half of the stethoscope out of her husband's grasp and put both sides in her ears to listen to two overlapping heart beats that Mako had simply thought was one rapid echo. Her face grew shocked and her baby blues wide. The Avatar's voice came out as a whisper. "There are two."

Two? There were two little people growing inside of her? Not just one, but two. Two people growing inside of her. In seven months two newborn individuals would come into this world by them, not just one. His heart pelted with the idea, but not with concern, with adoration for the twins. His twins, his precious babies. Tears threatened to burst free, but he restrained them with the ability granted to him by his lifelong stoicism. Gently, her ran his hand through Korra's hair and to the back of her head. With a giddy smile, he kissed her. "Twins, Korra."

* * *

**Have I done a good job so far with Pregnant Korra, and how about Mako as Daddy-To-Be? Wasn't that sweet though? Please review for me, and their BABIES! :D 3 SO MANY FEEELS!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I really enjoyed writing this one because it's so intense. Like really. I can't tell you who, but someone whose full name starts with H and ends with an ****ato, who used to own a company called Future Industries, and tried to kill his daughter makes an appearance.**

* * *

Korra wasn't really a crier. Sure, she had broken down in tears a few times during the Equalist Revolution, but she had been a seventeen-year-old girl literally with the weight of the world on her shoulders. It had made sense that every once in a while she would collapse in sobs, devastated. Recently, though it really didn't make sense why she would cry, apart from the multiplied amount of hormones running rampart throughout her system.

The first time she spontaneously burst into tears had actually touched Mako.

_His eyes were closed, but he didn't have any interest in falling asleep. He was just far too comfortable and in love. Her head was tucked beneath his chin, and he twiddled strands of her chocolate hair in his fingertips. Their babies had not yet created a barrier between them, but he could feel them pushed up against his abdomen. Moments like these were priceless, and so wonderful. So, he was surprised when he felt little, cold streams of water run down his collarbone._

_He wrenched his head back to look at her. Immediately he placed a kiss on each of her eyelids. "Korra, what's wrong?"_

_She sniffled and smiled up at him. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect. It's just, we made them, like this. It's wonderful."_

The second time had made him smile and roll his eyes.

"_Thanks for the lift, Mako," Skoochy muttered as he hopped off of Mako's police motorbike onto the deck of the ferry to Air Temple Island. At the insistence of Aiko, his former comrade, had been travelling to the Island at least once a week for reading lessons with Jinora. Of course, addressing their meetings that way had embarrassed him, and he preferred to say that he enjoyed listening to her read to him, but nobody better say anything about it. However, it had been nearly two weeks since he had gone to see her, as Jinora still felt ill from her tattooing and the family had been busy. Mako was headed there to spend time with Korra and the family for dinner._

"_Not a problem," He answered, giving his old friend and informant a genuine smile._

"_Next time you need some info, I'll be sure to give you a discount," The fourteen-year-old swindler promised. The firebender gave him a wry grin. "Of course, with you being a cop and all now, the price has gone up."_

"_Of course it has, Skooch," He retorted with a raw smile. _

_The sun was beginning to make its evening slope when the boat docked on the island. The two young men had made their way to the courtyard by the time Meelo and Ikki came zipping past them on their air scooters. Skoochy had to jump out of the way of Ikki and he bared his teach, "Watch where you're going Ikki!"_

_Turning her head just slightly, she stuck her tongue out at him. Inside, they found everyone else. Pema and Senna involved in the kitchen, with Rohan holding onto his mother's pant leg; Tonraq and Tenzin were wrapped up in a political talk; Iroh and Bolin were discussing battle strategies; and around a Pai Sho board were Korra, Asami, and Jinora who's head was wrapped up in a yellow scarf. Her face went pink when she made eye contact with Skoochy, and she shoved her face back in her book, muttering something to Asami._

"_Hey," Skoochy greeted, sitting down beside her. He made a circular motion with his hand, pointing at the top of his own head. "What's with the hair thingy, Jin?"_

_She pursed her lips and knitted her eyebrows together. The airbending master gave him a glance out of the corner of her brown eyes, as his own noticed the blue tattoo on her hand. "Isn't it obvious, Skoochy?"_

_The young teenager shrugged and gave her a taunting grin, "Not really."_

_She huffed and rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. I have tattoos up on my head. They're still healing, so I decided it would be in everyone's interest, if they didn't have to look at them just yet."_

_Playfully he teased, "They can't be _that_ bad."_

"_Oh, but they are," She argued, shoving her nose back in her book._

"_Yeah, sure," He muttered sarcastically._

"_Yes, so," She countered matter-of-fact._

"_I really doubt it."_

_Tired of this quarrel, Jinora whipped her face around to him and glared. He merely gave her a smug grin on his tan face. And, it was beyond obvious that she was tempted to slap the look right off of him. Jinora nearly shouted, "Do you wanna see for yourself, or something?"_

"_Yes," He answered, "I do."_

_Jinora breathed a heavy sigh, and set her book down. A sad expression crossed her warm, chestnut eyes. Slowly, her hands worked their way up to the top of her head and gently unwound the wrappings. As the last piece of cloth fell into her lap, she closed her eyes to let him take it all in. A blue arrow shot up from her spine, through the middle of her head, and ended at the center of her forehead. Around the markings was slightly bruised and some of her skin was still red from with rawness. And to any teenager's embarrassment, her head that had once had beautiful, thick, mahogany hair, was now covered in very short, downy-textured baby sprouts of two-week old fluff. It was uneven, but not long enough to obsess over just yet. It was hardly long enough to be capable of trimming, and it was thin enough to still see the arrow through._

_Her eyes opened, and she looked at the earthbender's surprised face. "See, I told you. Horrible."_

_Sincerely, Skoochy shook his head from side to side, and his voice came out the nicest Mako had ever heard it. "You still look really pretty to me, Jinora."_

Korra had needed to excuse herself from the room, and Mako had followed. For nearly twenty minutes, she had cried in her old room on his lap about how precious it was for Skoochy to say such a thing, and she had started spilling out ridiculous theories about how he and Jinora would fall in love and get married one day and raise hundreds of little earthbenders and airbenders.

Yet, almost every other time after that crying incident, Mako had had a hard time restraining himself from telling her just how insane she was acting. There had been one day that the radio had cancelled one of her favorite broadcasts and she had bawled for ten minutes. Another day, it had begun to drizzle as they walked on the sidewalk, and she had begun to sob over getting wet. Bolin had told him that the other day in Narook's the waiter had brought Korra the wrong dish, and she started weeping about how it wasn't what she had wanted. She cried over her back aching, she cried before and after almost every other time they made love, she cried when it had been a long day in City Hall, she cried over scenarios that she created in her own head, she cried at least once every single day. She would even cry about crying so much. And, no matter how much it got on his nerves, and no matter how much he could not understand it, Mako was still good to her. He would in the very least kiss her forehead each time he heard her whimpering, and promise that he would do anything he could to make her feel better.

But now with Korra in her fifteenth week of pregnancy, he was beginning to grow irritated. Recently he had begun to develop a shorter tolerance for her raging hormones. They were exhausting. But, this morning had finally tipped him over the edge.

Mako had woken up to find the bed empty, and he frowned. He preferred waking up with her by his side, even if he had only been asleep an hour and a half. Yet at least Naga was there to give him a slobbery, good morning kiss. Rolling himself out from beneath the covers, he freshened up, and trudged down the hall where he assumed he would find Korra and Bolin, who had slept on their couch that night, one or both sleeping. However, he did not expect find his wife bawling into Bolin's chest.

His brother held her tightly, comfortingly stroking her long, dark hair. They sat on the pullout bed in the sofa, and he gently rocked them back and forth. He sighed in frustration, unprepared to deal with emotions this morning. Bolin's green eyes caught his with an unsure expression, and Mako grumbled under his breath. The firebender turned his back on them and headed into the kitchen to set to work on breakfast.

"It's okay, Korra," Bolin's voice whispered reassuringly. "It'll be alright. Everything's going to work out today. I promise. Tenzin won't let anything go wrong."

"It has to be unanimous, Bo." Korra sniffled. "It just takes one vote, and he's free."

So, it was the trial that she had gotten worked up over. Mako rolled his amber eyes in exasperation and breathed out, cracking eggs into a bowl. Maybe if he hadn't have been so tired, his patience would not have been so short. But, the truth of the matter was, he was exhausted. Lin had put him on to work over fifty hours that week, each shift from seven PM to six AM. Except for today. Today he would work from ten AM to four PM at City Hall for extra security during Hiroshi Sato's trial.

"Korra, everyone knows what he did," Bolin insisted.

"People forget, Bolin. It's been two years. They've had him in custody this long so his lawyers could postpone everything and pay everyone off. He won't go to jail. He'll walk free," Korra replied with tears in her eyes.

"No, there's way too much evidence to cover up completely," He argued with a goofy grin, holding her face in his hands. "In the very least, he'll get five years in a corrective institution with five years parole."

"And what makes you a legal expert?" Korra sobbed somewhere between a laugh and shout.

He shrugged with the same grin, trying to coax her into calming down, but his brother didn't really have the same method in mind. Half to himself, and half in a sharp reply, he retorted. "Well, what do you want him to say? That he completely agrees with you, and Hiroshi will go on a rampage through Republic City once again, this time killing every bending child before they can walk?"

Korra's face twisted in pain and hurt. Her thoughts immediately travelled to her own twins' well being. They were already likely targets just because of who their parents were, but the thought of losing them to a man that had attempted to murder his own daughter, her best friend, brought an unfathomable amount of grief into her heart. She choked on another set of sobs, and Bolin ran his hands into her hair once more. Weepily she confessed, "I hadn't even thought of that."

Out of Korra's line of sight, Bolin glared at his elder brother and silently mouthed, 'You're no help!'

"She'll get past it. She's just moody," He hissed coldly as he turned on the sink to rinse off potato skins. Mako knew he was being cruel, and there was a part of him that really wanted to stop, but once he had gotten going, he was hard to subdue. In fact, he hated himself for saying anything at all, and he wished to take it back. But, his stubborn pride had no intention of explaining or defending himself. "She's been like this for weeks."

"What's your problem, Mako?" She hiccupped angrily.

"Mine? What's my problem?" He asked nonchalantly. "Nothing. I'm just sick of your drama."

Cobalt blue eyes shot daggers at him from the pull out couch, and she flicked her two forefingers up at him violently. Instantaneously, the water from the faucet turned on him like a fire hose and pelted him straight in the face. He gagged in surprise and put his hands up to block the blast. Struggling to turn the water off he shouted, "Korra, stop!"

The blast grew heavier and more powerful, following him and quite probably bruising him. Bolin laughed whole-heartedly, enjoying every second of his sister-in-laws retaliation. She stood up on the couch, and boosted herself off of it with one foot, still threateningly pelting him with ice-cold water. He slipped back onto the ground, aware that there was no real escape from an angry Korra, and shielded his face from the drenching. As she loomed over him, he couldn't help but note how good she looked in her night slip, furious, round-bellied with pregnancy, and all.

"Why are you such an asshole?" She screamed enraged, tears still streaming down her face. "Do you ever think before you speak? Do you know high the odds are for our kids to be benders? And, I was thinking about Asami! Not myself! Do you have any idea what she's probably going through right now? Her _father_, the man who tried to _kill_ her, could walk free today! And even if that doesn't happen, she still has to be there to testify against him! Our best friend, _my_ best friend, is going to persecute the only flesh and blood she has left in this world in less than two hours!"

Seething, she held the last bit of bent water in place before dropping it sluggishly on his head. She exhaled tiredly and slumped her shoulders forwards. Bolin was at her side in an instant, Pabu around his shoulders, while Mako sat stunned on the soaking floor. The earthbender scowled at his older brother and turned off the sink. Kindly he offered to Korra, "Hey, how bout Mako and I get this cleaned up and finish breakfast while you go get ready? Pabu can help you."

Korra giggled at the childish suggestion through her tears and intercepted the little fire ferret. "Sure, Bo."

Mako's golden eyes watched his wife saunter down the hallway, holding her brother-in-law's pet snuggly in her grasp, and he ran a hand through his soaking hair. Warming his skin with a breath of fire, steam evaporated from his drenched clothes and hair. His voice was flat, as his brother mopped up the water on the ground with a towel. "No let me, Bo. Spirits, I feel awful now."

"You kind of should," Bolin interjected, throwing up his hands innocently as his brother took over cleaning Korra's mess. "She can't exactly help it, and she sort of has a point."

"I know," Mako breathed sadly. There was a tiny part of him that was still bristling, but with his dousing, he had been completely brought back to his senses. "I'm tired, just like her though. You don't see me crying."

Bolin was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to slap his brother. "I don't see you carrying my nieces and or nephews either. She does that all day everyday, bro."

"True." Mako smirked as he set to work on the eggs he had cracked. "That's very true."

The younger brother awaited his elder's continued reply as he began cooking a pot of rice. With the silence dragged out long enough for his liking, Bolin asked, "So, how are you going to apologize?"

Mako shrugged, "Uh, by telling her I'm sorry?"

Shaking his head, Bolin face-palmed himself in disbelief just Asami sashayed her way into the kitchen wrapped up a silk kimono robe. The young woman had spent the night in Korra and Mako's guest room, which would soon become the nursery, under the insistence that it would make everything easier on her to wake up to friends that morning instead of utter loneliness. Iroh had too much respect for her virtue, an his own, to stay the night with her, knowing that the paparazzi would be following them everywhere today. Instead, he planned to meet up with them at City Hall. Also, she had stayed for practical reasons such as having everyone double-check all of the paperwork she needed to bring, and because they had planned to carpool as Team Avatar. Sleepily, she rubbed beneath her eyes and took a seat on a stool next to the breakfast bar. Asami was still able to look fabulous, even in the early morning. "What's with all the screaming?"

"Mako here decided that it would be a good idea to make a pregnant lady cry," Bolin told her, jerking his thumb at his older brother.

Asami's green eyes narrowed disbelievingly at the firebender. "You did what?"

"It wasn't like tha-I didn't-," Mako stuttered inprotest, his cheeks pink.

"Bro, please step into my office." The earthbender interrupted.

"This is my house, Bolin." He growled through clenched teeth.

"Hmm, I wouldn't have guessed by the décor." Bolin muttered sarcastically before wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulder. He animatedly waved his other arm as he spoke. "No, Mako. What you need to do is woo her. Ladies like Korra are very volatile human beings. Would you kick a momma saber-tooth moose lion and simply tell it sorry?"

Asami snorted in laughter. Under her breath she chuckled, "You just compared Korra to a saber-tooth moose lion."

Bolin grinned at her and continued as Mako huffed a sigh. "No, I didn't think so. You would run for your fricken life! Well, you just kicked a momma saber-tooth moose lion, and what are you gonna do about it?"

"Run?" Mako guessed with a frown.

"No!" Bolin and Asami argued in sync.

"This momma saber-tooth moose lion is your partner in crime, and you care about her very much. And trust me, she wants to tear your face off but, she's gonna give you a shot at making it up to her. Just one though! So you, my brother dearest, are going to do something romantic for her! Not tonight with the trial, and all, but soon. Preferably soon, cause you don't want her to be mad at you forever. I can help you out in that department. But, for now flowers will do. They're easy, and she won't want to kill you all day! So go buy your momma saber-tooth moose lion her favorite flowers!"

* * *

"Mako," She whispered, squeezing his hand once more. Their hard feelings from earlier that morning had been briefly put aside for two reasons. The first reason being that Asami Sato, the strong young woman that refused to accept anyone's pity, needed their full support no matter how much she refused it by saying that she really wasn't hurting. And the second reason being Mako's gift of a single white rose just forty minutes ago, which he had specifically run out of the apartment for right after breakfast.

"Hmm?" He hummed, donning his officer cap underneath his arm as he stepped out of the car in front of City Hall. One thing that he had been taught by his father was to always take your cap off in the presence of a lady, and to him, his wife was a queen. No matter how irritating and moody she got.

She halted in her tacks, pulling him to a stop beside her. The Avatar was dressed a bit more officially for her appearance in court, as was everyone else. And Mako couldn't help but smile at the little bump he could see beneath Korra's top. Korra stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you. I'm a little mad and hurt, but I still love you. I just thought you should know that."

He gave her a soft look and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry. I love you too. I said stupid stuff. I promise I'll make it up to you. Just you wait, okay?"

"Nothing crazy, City Boy," Korra teased flatly. Mako was certainly not someone that she would peg for spontaneous.

"It's like you don't even know me," He retorted sarcastically with a wink. "I'm gonna work on that whole being understanding thing that Bolin's been talking about."

She snorted with a laugh, "Good. Because, it's half of your problem."

"And, Uncle Bolin and Aunt Asami will be there for all the good times!" The earthbender decided as they headed into the lobby.

Thankfully, a path in the massive crowd had been made for important attendees, and so they were able to easily make their way through the swarm of people and into the Council room. Most of the paparazzi that had given badges for entrance stood along the pathway, and so until they were had made it past the double doors they had been blinded by camera flashes. Korra's eyes scanned the crowd inside collectively. The council members were not inside as of yet, most likely having last minute discussions in their chambers. A few people, including witnesses, had taken their seats. At the end of the aisle, Chief Beifong, Captain Saikhan, and General Iroh stood in an exclusive conversation. Apparently, though, it was not exclusive enough to dismiss Team Avatar.

"Good, you're finally here, Mako," Lin greeted her subordinate. The firebender nodded at his chief and captain respectively. "I'm going to need you on standby with me and Saikhan near the defendant's table. I don't want any funny business out of him."

"Got it."

Lin's eyes drifted to Asami, who still stood proudly with her shoulders squared. The middle-aged woman had to smile, she liked this girl and her tough persona. She even began to think that the Sato girl would be able to go through a barrage of Toph's workouts, and still not crack under the pressure. Asami deserved props, she really didn't _look _like she needed anyone's support. In fact, it was Iroh that looped her arm in his. "You'll be okay, kid."

Asami nodded with a fierce grin, not daring to speak just yet. Iroh gave her a half smile, and Asami pulled a fraction of her lips up in return, making it clear that she was focused and not about to change disposition. And, she didn't once. Not when Korra and Mako exchanged a quick kiss, not when her group of four sat down behind the prosecutor's desk, not when the council marched out to take their seats, not when they announced this trial's purpose, and not when Mako and Officer Kuro led her father out in handcuffs.

Hiroshi Sato did not spare anyone a glance as he was led to his seat beside his attorney. The man was well-known for being one of the best in all of Republic City, and he had an entire team of lawyers in the row directly behind him. Korra felt Asami stiffen with fury beside her. Her father had not even dared to look her in the eyes, had not even dared to apologize for all of his wrongdoings against her, and Korra felt a sudden, intense hatred for the now nfamous man. She narrowed her cobalt eyes and examined him, barely listening to Tenzin read off the charges of disturbing the peace, aiding and abetting, aggravated assault, arson, conspiracy, hate crimes, fraud, kidnapping, domestic violence, murder in the second degree, and attempted murder in the first degree. He looked thinner and paler, his face was drawn and he looked tired, and his brown eyes shown with a determination that she wished she could squash out of him.

The plaintiff stood and restated what Tenzin had said, and explained the precise circumstances. "The evidence in this case clearly proves that Mr. Hiroshi Sato, former head of Future Industries, supplied countless weapons used for murder and assault for the revolutionary party known as the Equalists. The evidence states that Mr. Sato was involved in the conspiracy of wiping out the bending population entirely alongside the masked perpetrator known as Amon. During all of this, the evidence clearly states that he personally assaulted Councilman Tenzin, Chief Beifong, several metalbending officers, Avatar Korra, and her friends, including his own daughter. The evidence clearly states that he is responsible for the destruction of the entire first fleet of the United Forces, and the attempy on the second fleet as he held Bolin, Asami Sato, and General Iroh hostage. The evidence clearly states that during this time he consciously attempted to murder his own daughter by his own hand."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council, my client, Hiroshi Sato, has been wrongly and unfairly accused of these crimes," Hiorshi's attorney began with a great amount of confidence and sincerity. "The evidence in this case clearly points to the fact that Mr. Sato was under the duress of these Equalists and was _forced_ against his will to create advanced weaponry and technology for them for the sake of both his and his daughter's lives. Any evidence that shows that Mr. Sato was linked to the biplane destruction of the United Forces is completely false, and only present due to the fact that he was constantly under threats from these Equalists. As I said, the evidence clearly states that Mr. Sato was forced to create this machinery for the sake of his life. Mr. Sato has always faithfully manufactured for the United Forces. Everything that Mr. Sato did was out of love for his daughter, and the well being of her and her friends. He did everything he could in his power to _protect_ them. So, the claim that he attempted to murder his own daughter, the one person he loves most in this world, is entirely false, just as all of these claims are. And, today I ask that you listen with open ears to understand that my client is not guilty of any of these crimes."

Tenzin's stony, blue eyes lingered momentarily on the accused before drifting back to the prosecutor. "Plaintiff, please call your first witness."

"I'd like to call Lau Gan-Lan to the stand," The plaintiff announced. From somewhere behind Korra and her friends, the owner of Cabbage Corp, and Asami's business rival, stood and walked forwards to the podium beside the Council.

The court reporter looked up from her typewriter, and addressed Lau, "Mr. Gan-Lan, would you please put your left hand on the Constitution of the United Republic drafted by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko, and raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," He answered, giving Hiroshi a sneer.

"You may proceed, plaintiff," The reported told him.

"Thank you," The man smiled at her almost flirtatiously and shifted his focus back to Lau Gan-Lan. "Would you please state your name so that the crowd and the council knows who you are?"

The Cabbage Corp owner looked at him disbelievingly as though it were impossible for anyone to not recognize him. "Lau Gan-Lan, owner and CEO of Cabbage Corp."

"Great. Now, Mr. Gan-Lan, would you be so kind as to explain the events that occurred in early Autumn of 170 ASC?"

"That man framed me and brought shame to the name of my Cabbage Corp!" Lau Gan-Lan shouted furiously, leaning over the bench and pointing an angry finger at Hiroshi Sato.

"How exactly did Mr. Sato frame you?" The plaintiff asked curiously.

"He planted electroshock gloves in my warehouse. My company doesn't even have that sort of technology to produce such a thing. We're still working on providing more practical cars than those gas-guzzling Satomobiles! I don't support those extremists like he does."

"Objection," The defendant's lawyer demanded. "Hearsay. It's only come from word of mouth that my client _agreed_ with the radical group."

"Council confirms, hearsay," The Earth Kingdom councilwoman said.

Korra frowned as the plaintiff continued to question Gan-Lan about how he had been framed by Hiroshi Sato. Within no time he was being cross-examined, and the next thing she knew, Bolin had been called up to the stand to give his testimony.

"So, Mr. Bolin, how long have you known Hiroshi Sato?"

"Um, over two years not quite three years?"

"Is that phrased as a question, Mr. Bolin?" The defendant's lawyer asked.

"No, it most certainly is not," Bolin argued. "I thought it was his turn to ask me questions, not yours!"

Asami's cheeks turned a little red and she put her face in her hand. Bolin continued on to explain how after the Probending Arena had been destroyed, he and his brother had gone to live Asami and Hiroshi Sato for a few days where Korra had overheard some phone call that sounded suspicious. How that night metalbending officers had searched and found Hiroshi's secret factory beneath the estate, and how they had needed to escape. And then he went on to finish the story his entire perspective of the rest of the Battle of Republic City. "And, when I saw Hiroshi in that mecha-tank, I knew I had to do something. He was going to kill her. So, I knocked him off guard with a couple of rocks and the next thing I knew, Asami was up and fighting. She spared him, and he tried to run for it, so she did the only thing she could do, and sent those wraps flying at him."

After he was cross-examined, it was Korra's turn, and then Mako's, and then Iroh's, and then a former employee of Hiroshi Sato's, and then Lin Beifong's, and then Asami Sato's. Asami walked to the stand proudly, her shoulders squared back and her head held high. The audience was silent, holding their breath as though the mere noise would distract from the trial. She held a chilly, green gaze as the court reporter swore her in, and she gave her recollection of the events. Her hatred was just barely subdued in her eyes as the defendant's lawyer came up to cross-examine her.

The man gave her a sincere smile that she looked about ready to roundhouse kick off of his face. "Miss Sato, at what age did you begin to stray from your father?"

"Excuse me?" Asami hissed coldly in a low voice.

"I'm sorry if I didn't phrase the question to your understanding," Her father's lawyer apologized. Asami was beginning to have a hard time keeping the glare off of her face. So, that was going to be her father's disgusting strategy. His lawyer was going to make her out to be the most helpless, naïve, spoiled human being in all of Republic City. "What I meant was, what caused you to drift apart from your father? It wasn't because he cut down on your allowance, was it?"

The man chuckled in an understanding voice that made her skin crawl. "I know most teenagers would get upset over something like that, but what was it that made you turn away from your father's love?"

Asami wanted nothing more than to punch this man's lights out, or in the very least for the plaintiff to call for some sort of objection. Yet, something told her that the defense attorney was skimming along the gray area, that he was asking questions in just a way that made them okay. She inhaled to steady herself and shook her head. "I never _turned_ away from my father if that's what you're getting at."

"Oh, but-,"

"I wasn't finished," She snapped harshly. "I always loved my father. I once thought that he was the greatest person in the world, and even when Avatar Korra accused him of having Equalist ties, I still was on his side. I couldn't believe that my own father would ever support such a radical, persecuting group. I even defended him to my friend, but I was wrong. That night when we found his Equalist factory, I was devastated. I hoped that it wasn't true, but I knew it wasn't right when he asked me join him. He offered me one of those electroshock gloves, and I took it. I told him that I loved him, and I used it against him then. It broke my heart, but it was the only way that my friends-benders-would make it out of their safely. I never turned my back on his love. I suppose you could even say that he turned his back on mine when he tried to kill me."

The lawyer's jaw was set in frustration, clearly not prepared to handle someone so well spoken. A small grin tugged at his lips when his mind caught onto something. "You say that you were on his side when your friend accused him of have Equalist ties. Does that mean that you were secretly hoping that my client was in fact, an Equalist?"

"Absolutely not," Asami argued. "I was praying to every spirit that he wasn't."

"So, you don't have any sympathies for the Equalist party? Even though a firebender took your mother when you were so young?"

"That was the act of one man. And my policy is to not hold every single bender responsible for the actions of one. There's bad people that are nonbenders too, you're client being one of them."

"Objection, irrelevant," The attorney interrupted her, barking at the council.

"Council confirms, irrelevant," The Earth Kingdom councilwoman said.

Driven by a sudden urge to prove herself, Asami waited intently for the attorney's next question. "Miss Sato, could you please give us some back story? Explain your childhood and your experiences with your father growing up?"

She inhaled and blinked. Asami had been expecting this question, but she wasn't about to lie because truthfully, in her eyes, her father _had _been a good man up until the Revolution. "When I six years old, my mother was murdered by an Agni Kai. After her death, it was only my father and I. And, yes, he did take good care of me. He was still my dad no matter how sad either of us were. When I had nightmares about it all happening again, he'd let me crawl up next to him and go to sleep. The very next week, he had me in self-defense classes. I picked up hand-to-hand combat really quick, but I was too little to realize what the purpose of learning chi-blocking was for. He was always busy with work, but he'd make time for me while he was there, and I got to know al lot of the workers. He taught me how to drive on a test track when I was ten. And when I was twelve he was furious when I decided to try out a model that hadn't been tested yet, without his knowledge. But, he told me that he was more afraid for my safety than anything else. I found it odd, though, that he didn't like me looking around his workshop after I turned sixteen. Now, I realize that he didn't want me finding his underground factory. Overall, we got along. We had a few fights here and there, but what parent and child don't argue?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad man to me," The attorney answered. "Perhaps he wanted to keep you sheltered from all of the duress and harassment he had been put under?"

"He never once acted as though he were being harassed," Asami snapped. "I saw him when he was blackmailed by the Agni Kai's. He panics and it's obvious that he's concerned. He was a man that was acting of his own accord."

"People have different reactions to different types of intimidation. It sounds to me like he wanted you to join him for your own safety. He certainly doesn't sound like a man that would attempt to murder his own daughter," The attorney goaded.

Asami swallowed, and the image of her father looming over her with a raised metal fist flashed across her mind and his voice echoed, 'I now see there's no chance to save you!'

"I wouldn't have thought so either," Asami spat so bitterly that almost everyone in the room recoiled. "But, he did. And, seeing the hatred in his eyes, I knew that it wasn't my father anymore. He was too consumed by hatred and the need for revenge that he was willing to end anyone that got in his way. And, I just happened to be the one that got in his way."

For the first time in two years, Asami glanced at the man half responsible for her being. He eyes were cold and unforgiving, and even still, he did not glance up to meet her eye. Subliminal thoughts ran through her mind, daring him to look at her, but he never once did. She wanted him to look at her, to see what lay behind his dead, brown eyes. She wanted to prove to him that not all benders were bad, that she would happily marry the one she was with because he was such a good man, a good man like she had thought her father was. She wanted to slap him back into reality, she wanted to ring her hands around his throat and demand to know why any cause was worth sacrificing her. And somewhere down deep inside of her, she wanted to run into his arms like she used to do when she was little, and hear her father tell his little girl that everything was all right. "Anymore questions?"

* * *

**Yeah, I totally just threw some JinoraxSkoochy action into the mix, and I thought it was damn freakin cute! I wanted to try to portray just how emotional Korra really is right now. And, guys, don't be mad at Mako. He's tired too, and you know how he gets. He feels guilty, don't you Mako? He says he does. I hope you guys liked the trial, i'd like to hear your feedback on it. Like did I portray Asami's emotional conflict okay? I hope so! Let me know! Thanks for all the reviews you lovely people!**


	20. Chapter 20

**At long last! Another chapter for you all! It's intense just so you guys know! I really hope you like it! And please let me know if you do.**

* * *

"_It's almost over," She whispered as she gave the other woman's shoulder a comforting squeeze from across the counter. They were on lunch recess. Within the next few hours, Hiroshi Sato would be given his sentence, but it had taken quite a while to get there. Over two weeks, in fact._

_The raven-haired beauty finally looked up from the noodles she had been mercilessly picking at for the past twenty minutes, but had not dared to consume. Her sparkling green eyes were tired, but still shone with an unbeatable amount of determination, but underneath it all was a bubbling layer of sadness. Her full, red lips curled up into a smile, and she sighed through her nostrils. "I know. It just…doesn't feel like it."_

_Her shorter, olive-skinned companion gave her a lopsided grin and encouragingly threw her hands up near the height of her shoulders. "But it is, and I'll tell you what. Tomorrow we'll take a joyride out in one of those new breezers we designed."_

_Over her glass of water the porcelain young woman snorted. "Don't you mean the breezers _I_ designed?"_

"_I helped!" Korra protested._

_Asami narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, and pursed her lips. Leaning slightly towards her, she looked as though she were really trying to make up her mind. She eventually lifted her fingers in a pinching motion, and squinted her eyes as if it were hard to see the space between her fingers. "A tad."_

* * *

"Asami!" She shouted forcefully, covering up her concern with anger. The young Water Tribe girl pounded her fist in a rapping motion against the door once again. "Asami! I swear if you don't open this door I will knock it down!"

Korra huffed anxiously as she stood in the hallway of the penthouse floor of the apartment building, her hands placed defiantly on her hips. Asami was supposed to have called her that morning, and one thing that Asami had always been was punctual. So, naturally, concerned when the Sato heiress had not answered her phone after the fourth call, Korra had travelled the short ways uptown to her apartment building with Bolin in tow. And, having been there for a full five minutes without an answer and a lack of patience, the Avatar was inclined to barge in.

"I'm sure she's fine. I mean come on, maybe she dusted out before we got here." Bolin insisted, leaning casually against the wall beside her. His lips were pursed as he scratched Pabu behind the ears. Upon inspection of the expression his sister-in-law threw him, he quickly reversed his tracks. "Buuuuuut, if she's not answering something smells a bit fishy. Don't get sore with me."

"Asami!" Korra called once more as she jiggled the handle. To her utmost surprise, the handle turned easily and the door swung wide open, and Bolin jumped back. Bewildered, she almost made a double-take, yet instead she curled her lip upwards and stepped inside, fists raised just in case. With caution, she put one foot out in front of the other as she lurked inside. Her knees were bent in a ready stance simply in case something was wrong. It wasn't like Asami to not send some sort of response, and it most certainly wasn't like her to leave her door unlocked, especially since the New Future Industries break in.

"Okay. That's not like her at all," Bolin muttered, following right behind her, his own fists at the ready.

Pregnancy had not really done too much to the Avatar's physical prowess. Sure, she was beyond tired with carrying twins, but overall she was in incredibly good shape. She was still incredibly toned, strong, and thin, and the only thing that really made it possible to tell that she was not the sole being inhabiting her body was the nearly eighteen week old bulge jutting straight out from her once inverted stomach, and the slight glow it had given her skin. So, Korra was more than prepared for a confrontation if need be.

"Is anyone here?" When no response came, her blue eyes sharply examined the front two rooms in her friend's apartment, and quickly noticed the shattered vase beneath the left wall of the kitchen. Carefully, she stepped closer, crouched down, and noted that there was no counter around for it to have fallen from. She met Bolin's eye above her and looked at the scraped paint on the wall. "It looks like it was thrown."

"Who would have thrown it?" Bolin asked the question that they both were wondering.

"Hopefully Asami," Korra answered as she stood.

"Her keys are gone," Bolin announced just as they were about to make their way to the next room. He pointed at the kitchen counter. "She always leaves them right there."

"She might have taken her car. Let's keep looking," The Avatar ordered the earthbender a bit more glumly. They ventured into the heiress' study to find papers scattered everywhere, but neither knew whether it was from a struggle, or of Asami's own doing. Both the guest room and bedroom were entirely empty, and they concluded that they were in fact alone in her flat.

"Maybe we should call Mako or Iroh," Bolin suggested as their way back into the kitchen. "Grumpy will be able to keep a look out for her on the streets, and maybe His Majesty knows where she is."

Korra frowned in a shrug. She was starting to get a bit concerned as the penthouse showed mixed signals of a struggle and a voluntary absence. Wracking her memory, she tried to understand what would give Asami the notion to ransack her own apartment. Of course, there had been the rather upsetting ending to the trial. If Asami was distraught over that, Bolin and Korra were not about to let her go on some sort self-destructive path. And, if things had gotten out of hand and one of Hiroshi's supporters, or Triad member had abducted her, they would not just wait around like a couple of sitting turtle ducks. "Make it quick. We're wasting time."

* * *

"_The defense would like to call the defendant, Mr. Hiroshi Sato, to the stand to give his alibi." The hard ball attorney announced on the fifteenth and final day of the trial._

_For the second time since the beginning of the trial, Hiroshi wandered up to the bench. This time for a different cause than questioning. Under the scrutinizing gazes of Team Avatar, General Iroh, the council, police, and the rest of the accumulated audience, he seemed fairly confident. Camera shy, an unusual thing for someone that had been in the spotlight for the majority of his life, but confident. After he was sworn in, and with one of the sincerest looks his warm, brown eyes could muster, he looked towards his lawyer, ready to deliver his defense._

_Korra was fairly certain that if she continued to smolder, she could quite possibly light his eyebrows on fire from a simple glance. Around her, Bolin glared with contempt, Iroh stared ahead with hatred, and Asami glowered with betrayal. Mako, Lin, and their fellow officers stood at the ready, and the council watched on with curious eyes. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was grateful that none of the children were here to observe this awful trial. All four of the little airbenders, along with Aiko Beifong, were sheltered on Air Temple Island where they were under the careful eye of Pema, and Air Acolytes acting as tutors and babysitters. Jinora had begged Tenzin to be present that day during the verdict so that she could pay witness to history firsthand, but her father had flat out refused. The stress and tension in the atmosphere alone was enough to make anyone believe they were going mad._

_A pulse in her neck throbbed with the weight of the circumstance, as it had been since the very first testimony. Through her own, Korra had been so tempted to lean across the bench and light Hiroshi Sato on fire, and it had been Asami Sato that had ultimately stopped her from doing so. Her friend had not physically or verbally requested that of her. No, it had been something about the way her green eyes had combined with a sickened look of regret that had caught Korra's curiosity. And now as she watched the man on the stand the Avatar realized; Hiroshi was still Asami's father. No matter how much she detested him, Asami would always have a part of him wandering around with her. And, the Avatar had had to ask herself; what if it had been her own father? Tonraq, the man that had loved and cared for her since before she was born? What if he had been the one that had double-crossed her? Would she have wanted her own flesh and blood to suffer, even he had tried to commit the unthinkable? Would her children wish it on their father?_

_She shook her head to clear her head. Preposterous. Tonraq? Mako? Neither of them had, or ever would do anything so unspeakable. But, what if Tonraq had done so in her Senna's name? Her mother's name? Or, Mako in her own name?_

_Though she jumped slightly, she was relieved to be brought back to present day by a wrinkled hand settling on top of hers. Korra smiled into the sparkling blue eyes of the elderly woman on her right, and her old sifu gave her a reassuring look. The Avatar tilted her head so that the kind, old healer could whisper in her ear. "You look lost, dear."_

_Korra nodded silently and uncertainly announced in a whisper, "I suppose I am."_

_Katara, the tough, little old lady that had decided to come to the trial against her youngest son's wishes and declarations that it was too strenuous of an environment, place a delicate, aged hand over her former student's swollen belly. She gave Korra a shining grin, lighting up the dark atmosphere. "As I'm sure you know by now, life doesn't always go as we expect it. Sometimes it goes poorly, and sometimes it's the most spectacular thing you could ever hope for. Just enjoy it while you have it. Keep the people that matter close, Korra. They may not always do the right things, some are bad eggs, but ultimately most mean well."_

"_Master?" Korra muttered unsurely._

"_Love the ones you have, dear." She stated warmly, gently rubbing the young girl that was much like her eldest granddaughter's belly. Katara sighed, "These two are certainly going to be an interesting pair, strong little benders. Teach them to love like you have."_

* * *

"Not likely!" He shouted, leaping onto the roof of the next building across the thin alleyway. A slight smirk spread across his face as the criminal searched desperately for an escape route to no avail. There was no way to go except into the busy street a few stories below, or put up a fight against the officer that had chased him down. Something about the feeling of trapping the man gave him a sense of satisfaction like that of a hunter toying with his kill. "Where are you gonna go, mac? It's a dead end."

The criminal's eyes grew wide and his breathing quickened as he reeled his head around desperately, watching Mako step into a ready stance and searching desperately for a way out. He gave a laugh that was almost half mad. "There's no way I'm coming with you, fuzz."

Mako raised his eyebrows condescendingly. "Would you rather go into the street?"

He scoffed, and spat at his feet. In a flash, with a deadly grin, he slid the handle of a knife into his grasp from the inside of his sleeve. "I don't think so."

"Alright, tough guy, I don't think that's a great idea. I'm going to have to ask you to put the knife down." Mako informed him. His feet were spread apart so that he could switch direction at a moments notice, but his hands were still nonchalantly crossed over his chest.

"Why?" The man now held a longer knife in his other hand, this one pointed at Mako's heart. His voice rose in hysterics and he shook his dark head. Tears slipped out of his brownish-orange eyes. "So I can be put in a cell? They'll kill me in there, if not there, when I get out. I'm not going with you, bud. I'm walking out of here free."

The young officer pursed his lips in surprise. He had come across the criminal that would challenge him, but this was certainly a unique type. Mako had even dealt with crazies, but this man was desperate, and desperate people did reckless things. A rash felon with two knives was not something he wanted to deal with, as the knives were a constant reminder of his serious trip to the hospital last summer. A bit more forcefully with fists raised at the ready he ordered, "Sir, I need you to put the knives down."

"Sorry, pal. Red Pole's orders straight from the boss. Sizzler will have me bumped off if there's any witnesses that get in the way, especially a cop." The man leapt at him, swinging the blades in a parallel motion where Mako's chest had just been milliseconds before.

Mako rolled carefully out of the way, and aimed a kick at the man's feet to knock him off balance. The man in his early thirties sprang upwards and brought thee tip of his blades down mere inches from the firebender. He huffed in frustration, and lit the metal edges of his weapons in flames. The young officer, eyes scanning for some sort of tool to use as a weapon on the rooftop, taunted him, "So you're an Agni Kai? You realize that attempting to murder an officer is going to get you into even more trouble?"

The mid morning sun shone brightly on them, and both firebenders drew energy from its powerful rays. Mako glared defiantly as he aimed strikes at the man's face. It was perfectly legal since he had not started the brawl, and he had a commit to defend himself. His strikes were direct and would have been excellent if it had not been for the Traid firebender doing his best to keep on the offensive. The older fabulous bending brother had a particular disliking for the Agni Kai Triad after all of the misery they had caused him and his loved ones, and he had developed a particular curiosity regarding the Red Pole nicknamed The Sizzler.

With a wry grin, Mako dodged the man's jab and was nearly able to make contact with his wrist. Using his other hand, the man sent a large fire blast in Mako's direction, and with clasped hands Mako pushed it and his own together in a fiery explosion. Tauntingly, he mocked the Forty-Niner. "You Agni Kais aren't too good with getting rid of your heat. How does it feel, to extort from the innocent? The poor? You're nothing but organized petty thieves. At least the Triple Threats rob people they know can pay, and live up to their promise of protection against you idiots."

The Agni Kai hissed in fury as a burn crept up his right arm, and aimed a kick at the police officer's head. He barely made contact with the tip off Mako's chin, but it was still mighty nonetheless. In retaliation, the man goaded him. "I've heard of you. The cop with the sweet spot for the Triple Threats. We're all pretty surprised you got hired considering you used to run numbers for them and all. This is gonna be rich to bring back to the boys, 'Hey, fellas. Guess what! The Avatar's single!' Yeah, how'd a street rat like you score a dame like her? Sizzler will love this. He's been looking for you for a while now. Not too happy about the burn you gave him. Did he ever tell you about your parents?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mako shouted in outrage. He barely slipped beneath the man's fiery blade as another slash threatened to burn and slice open his cheek. Who did this man think he was? Mako had never even met this Sizzler character, and then he had the audacity to speak of Korra and his parents?

"Ah, you don't know kid?" The Agni Kai mocked as he side-stepped a strike, and slit a burning scrape down Mako's chest, earning a groan of pain. Their fight, their duel, their Agni Kai, was like a dance to the death. Yet, it was only the actual Agni Kai that had the intention of murder. "Well, before I kill you. The Sizzler, you know him. He talks about getting' back at the orphan firebender kid the Threats used to clean up after. Says you're all grown up now. Maybe you should ask him about your parents. He always talks about how he popped off that kid's parents. Oh, sorry, that won't ever happen will it? But, from what I hear, we had some serious vendetta with them before they were popped off. Real shame."

Mako's breath hitched in his throat, and his eyes grew wide. In anger he grasped the Forty-Niner's wrists with hands aflame, pulled him in, and kicked him square in the chest. The cried out in pain, and dropped his weapons as he toppled over onto his back. In disgust, Mako kicked the blades aside, and grasped the man by his collar. Repeatedly, he struck him upside the face until blood poured from his lips and nose. With brute strength, Mako wrenched the man to his feet, and picked him up by the scruff of his clothes off of the roof. His hand was dangerously close to his throat, and Mako lit his other palm on fire, prepared to strike him at a moments notice. "My parents were never involved in the Triads!"

The man's eyes grew wide when he realized how dangerously close he hovered to the roof's edge. In desperation, his hands, through the ache and pain of the blisters bubbling around his forearms, clung to Mako's wrist. Yet, he didn't dare burn him out of fear of being dropped into the rushing traffic far below. His voice sounded panicked as he barked, "Yeah, yeah! Okay, buddy! Just let me down!"

"So you can try to kill me again? I'm so sick of someone constantly trying to kill me." Mako bit back. "Who is the Sizzler?"

Desperation was beginning to overrule all of the Agni Kai's forethoughts. Continuously, he glanced at the street beneath him with nervous orange-brown eyes. "His name is Sahen. He works as a Red Pole. He's whom I report to. He's good at what he does, but he's trigger happy. Most people that cross don't make it too far."

"How do you know who I am?" Mako demanded through clenched teeth.

"Your face. It's-it's in the papers a lot. Please, put me down," The man pleaded, alarm rising as the rush of cars increased. His horrified expression only magnified when it became evident that Mako was not yet prepared to put him back on a solid structure. "Sahen, he points you out. He says you ran after him one time, that's it no surprise you became a cop. He says that he never forgets the face of someone that got away, and you got away twice. The first time, he says, was when he killed your parents."

* * *

"_I never intended for things to get so out of hand like they did," Hiroshi Sato told his audience with a genuinely melancholy tone. "I only ever expected to produce what was required of me, and I could get on with my life from then on. That's what Amon had promised me. So long as I did what was asked of me, my daughter and I would not be hurt. It is true that my wife was murdered by a firebender, but I had no animosity towards them. I let one stay in my house for Spirit's Sake."_

_He chuckled sadly, downcast as he looked towards the council. "When my daughter befriended the Avatar, I was fearful that Amon and the Equalists would target her. I had hoped that maybe the Avatar would offer a sort of protection for us, but I thought I knew better then. The power the Equalists had was too great, and she wasn't prepared for any sort of fight against them. So, I let her overhear my phone call with Amon's Lieutenant. It was a warning for her protection, for her to stay away. When the Avatar discovered what I had kept secret from my daughter for her safety, I knew that I was short on time before her return with an authority figure. Amon would have killed me if I had gone with them willingly, I needed his trust. I knew that they would search for the workshop, and I used it as a tool to show my daughter and her friends just how dangerous those Equalists were. I used it as a way to drive them away, but they were too stubborn for their own good. They could have gotten hurt. So, I asked my daughter to join me. So, she would have been safe away from the battle where Amon would have assured me her protection._

"_Everything I did. Every crime I unwillingly committed. It was done out of love for my daughter, so that she could stay unharmed. When she, Bolin, and General Iroh crossed into the airstrip, I ordered that they be tied up in a cell for their safety. There they wouldn't be hurt in the heat of the battle, and remain alive. I was incredibly grateful that they were all safe through the end, but before that I had been required to play me part. If I hadn't, we all would have been permanently silenced. _

"_When I discovered Asami destroying the mecha tanks, I was horrified. If the Equalists knew…the consequences would have been too hard to bear. I was angry because she didn't listen to my reasoning, and I was sad too because of what I was certain would happen to her. I had to fight my own daughter in order to get her out of the tank," He choked in a sob, and he had to dab beneath his eyes. Korra's stomach turned, revolted. "Do you know how awful that was? I had to be certain that I wouldn't hurt her, but I needed her to stop destroying them. I couldn't let her be destroyed too. But, she was so determined for her cause. Just like her mother. I knew that her fate was out of my hands, and it made me outraged that the Spirits had allowed her to be so blinded from what I was trying to offer her. Protection. Life. Safety. Love. It hurt me so deeply to know that there was no chance to save her from whatever the Spirits had destined her for."_

* * *

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The handsome young man on the asphault shouted in surprise, skirting back a few feet on the pavement, narrowly avoiding being trampled over by the front of the young woman's moped. He stared at the front tire with a certain amount of fear, the screeching sound of its sudden stop still echoing in his very recent memory. Trying to calm himself, he ran a hand through his neatly combed short hair, and looked up at the beautiful driver.

Within seconds, she had the kickstand down and was at his side. Removing her helmet, she knelt down, and touched his arm. Her livid manner had quickly changed from shock to anxiety. "Oh my Spirits, Tamal! Are you all right? I didn't even see you! I am so sorry!"

Tamal stood with a sweet smile, and offered her his hand to help her to her feet. When she stood, he put his long, gloved fingers on her elbow. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. You didn't hit me. Are you okay though?"

"I'm all right," She lied.

"Are you sure? You're not usually such a riled driver. That's Korra's job." He chuckled slightly, trying to get her disposition to change. Instead, it immediately returned despondency. His amber eyes caught her the mixture of depression in her vexed appearance at once, and he kindly rubbed her shoulder. "Alright, Asami, where are you headed?"

"Anywhere." The heiress pulled on her helmet once again, and stepped towards her motorbike. "I just needed to drive. I'm sorry again, I promise that doesn't usually ever happen."

Quickly, he gently caught her wrist. His concern for her shone clear as the rising sun in his honey irises. Tamal's heart ached just at the sight of her. He yearned to once again run his fingers through her black hair and feel the grace of her ruby lips pressed against his. The one time he had stolen had been far to brief. And to look at her and to know she didn't love him back was the worst feeling in the world. But, regardless of any romantic feelings, they were still friends. Though things had been a bit bumpy between them for a little while, he was still had her best interest at heart. And, letting her tear down the streets on a speeding death wish was certainly not in her best interest. Words came out of him so speedily that he could have been in competition with that little airbending kid. "It's fine. I know you didn't mean to because that's not like you at all. When you're your normal self, you're the best driver on the entire continent. Look, Asami, I won't say a word if you don't want me to. You can completely ignore if you would like. But, I'm not about to let you go careening down the road, begging to be ejected from the seat. Let me drive. You tell me where to go, and we'll go there."

Asami stared at him for a moment uncertainly. Her eyes ran across his porcelain face, his forehead where a few wisps of his short jet-black hair dared to pour over and away from his slicked back style, the slopes of his defined cheekbones, and through his nectar colored eyes. With a small, uncertain voice, she protested, "You don't have a helmet."

Once again, he flashed her a charming, pearly, lopsided grin. "I don't _need _one. I'm driving for _your_ safety."

Pursing her maroon lips, she narrowed her lime green orbs. "Fine. Get on, chump."

He chortled lightly and hopped onto her bike. Tamal had to battle the light fluttering in his chest when he felt her arms wrap around his waist and her chin settle atop his shoulder. Kicking the bike into gear, he questioned, "Where to, Miss Sato?"

* * *

"_If the Council will allow me one moment off the record, I would like to address the crowd."_

_The court reporter stared up at the confused council members with hesitancy. None of them could remember such a strange request from the defendant while he was in the middle of his alibi. Members of the City Council swiveled their heads from side to side to look at one another. Police officers did the same, and Mako threw Kuro a glare of uncertainty that the Water Tribe man quickly returned. Lin leered suspiciously at Hiroshi before making eye contact with Tenzin. For a brief moment it was as if they were telepaths, able to communicate merely through nods and gestures._

_At last the airbending master, with his brows furrowed and blue eyes burning skepticism spoke. "Anything that you say during this trial will be kept 'on the record,' Mr. Sato. You are under the deliberation of the law, and this time will be used for the purpose of your trial. So long as you understand that, whatever you have to say may be said."_

"_Thank you," Hiroshi thanked him. _

_Korra wanted to snort in disbelief to reveal her thoughts. _'How dare he. Tenzin's a good man. He probably wishes he could take away his bending like Amon could have.'

_Hiroshi Sato sighed, and for the first time during his trial, he made eye contact with a single member of the crowd. "To Mr. Gan-Lan. I am sincerely sorry that you got mixed up in this mess. I panicked, and I only thought it would make sense to lead the trail to you as my business competitor. I hope you understand that I was only trying to keep my daughter and I safe."_

"_YOU TRIED TO DESTROY MY CABBAGE CORP, YOU NO GOOD, LYING SON-OF-A-BITCH! I'LL WRING YOUR NECK, YOU FILTHY EQUALIST!" Gan-Lan roared with such contempt as he was dragged away that it reverberated around the room, and _

'At least he doesn't believe him,' _Korra thought in relief. His outburst had disturbed her though. Despite the satisfaction of realizing that at least one other person in the room didn't believe him, Gan-Lan's eruption had agitated the crowd. Angry and startled murmurs ran through the audience, and she shivered in discomfort. _

_Her handsome officer caught her eye from across the room and she was suddenly very grateful for his presence. Even though he stood across the hall, his proximity was still soothing. The look in his honey eyes was full of concern and his subliminal thoughts that he sent her begged to know, _'Are you okay?'

'I'm okay, sweetheart.'_ The Avatar nodded reassuring, yet his ambers remained watchfully upon her._

'The twins?'

_She put her hand protectively over the thin wall protecting their children, and gave him a listless smile. _'Them too.'

_Disbelievingly, Mako pushed his hooked eyebrows together and threw her a determined look. _'I have my eyes on you three. I promise.'

"_And to my daughter." Hiroshi's voice was the most noticeable above the crowd. For the first time in two years, he laid eyes on the only other person in the world that shared his flesh and blood. Korra swallowed in sorrow at the look of complete betrayal and ill will reflected in Asami's green eyes as she stared back at her father with the coldest look she could possibly muster. Around her shoulders, Korra felt Katara reach across her and pat Asami reassuringly. _

"_Asami, I understand how hurt you must be.'_

'No, you don't.' The Avatar's subconscious hissed back.

"_I am so sorry."_

'No, you aren't.'

"_I always wanted the best for you in life. I was so afraid that you would be hurt because of me. Please believe me, Asami. I did everything I did for you." _

'That includes trying to kill her?'

"_When your mother passed, you were the only thing that could ever bring me any sort of happiness. Do you remember when I used to take you to probending matches when you were little? You used to love it so much, always did. I felt so sorry that you couldn't bend. It was all you used to talk about, throwing disks at your competitors. I put you in defense classes to make up for it. You were so thrilled."_

'He's trying to goad you, Asami.'

"_Or, do you remember when I used to make tea for you when you were sick? I would try and sing that tune your mother always did. Of course, I wasn't any good at it, but you wanted to hear it anyways."_

'I know he sounds legitimate, Asami. But please, do not believe him. He's trying to lure you in. He wants your sympathy.' _If Korra's thoughts had been vocalized, they would have come out as screams. Protective of her friend Korra grasped Asami's hand tightly, and gave the delicate, porcelain fingers a good squeeze. As though surprised by the sudden contact, Asami turned her head as if she had been snapped out of a trance. Korra tried to smile at her, and Asami was able to return it half-heartedly. Yet, neither of them were entirely sure what to make of Hiroshi's next statement._

"_Asami, I hope you will come to forgive me. Everything that happened was because I love you so very, very much."_

* * *

The breeze rolling off the gray ocean whipped their hair back and forth as the three of them trudged up the beach. Atop of the natural jetty, they had a very clear view of everything within several miles. Over their heads, thick, grey clouds clustered together across the entire city and far out across the sea. A few miles offshore, the clouds came to an end, and the sky and water there reflected a warm red and yellow glow. Gulls and other birds were silhouetted against that light, but beneath the clouds, everything was simply muted in color vibrancy.

Korra breathed in the salty air and glanced between the two men below her. Bolin offered her his hand to step down onto the next boulder, and she somewhat begrudgingly took it. Iroh stared ahead with worried amber eyes. Adorned in their winter coats, the three were almost a little surprised that snow had not fallen that day. The entire beach was cleared of the frozen slush, and yet they were sure that the sand beneath their covered feet might feel just as icy.

Groups of people were spread out across the shoreline. A few families observed their children run ahead with siblings, friends, and pets, but their parents always made sure that they would not wander too close to the freezing surf. A small number of couples stood, sat, or walked with their arms wrapped around each other both for warmth and comfort. Korra, Bolin, and Iroh were the only people actually searching for someone else.

"We've searched the entire city. She's gotta be here," Bolin breathed, as Pabu curled up a bit more tightly around his master's shoulders.

"Let's hope so. She said she used to come here with her mom," Korra answered. She leaned against Naga as they treaded up the beach. Much of the fight had been drained from her over the course of the long day, the immensely taxing trail, and the exhausting duty of carrying twins. Her polar bear dog paused in her tracks, and sympathetically pushed her big, black nose to the young woman's cheek. The Avatar smiled and scratched her pet's neck. "I love you too, girl."

"There!" Iroh suddenly shouted. The other two benders with him gazed curiously to the point that his index finger marked out. They squinted just enough to see, in the distance, a young woman sitting in the sand with long, dark curls, and her knees drawn up to her chest. A melancholy expression donned what looked to be a very pretty face. What looked to be a second figure sat at her side with his or her arm draped over the young woman's shoulders.

Naga's ears perked, and she gave a loud bark of recognition. With a grin Korra climbed onto her saddle, and Bolin and Iroh quickly did the same after a convincing nudge. Bolin patted the polar bear dog's ribcage and gently reminded her for the umpteenth time that day, "Be careful, Naga. Korra isn't supposed to have the bumpy ride anymore."

"She knows, Bo," Korra recounted to her brother-in-law kindly. Taking the reigns, Korra let her know that it was okay to set out on an even paced canter. Rapidly, the two figures in the sand grew larger, and their features became much more pronounced. About twelve yards from them, Naga came to a sudden halt.

Bolin and Korra exchanged tentative looks as they recognized their friend and teammate as the second figure with his arm strung around Asami's shoulders. The two sat in silenc with unwavering gazes transfixed on the current before them. Their bare feet pushed into the cold sand, Tamal's jacket was curled around the Sato heiress' back for extra warmth. Yet, none of these details seemed to faze the General of the United Forces as he flung himself from Naga's saddle and onto the sand.

"Asami!" He called while he set out into a deadbolt towards his girlfriend.

Green eyes finally broke away from their tormented trance, and she looked up in confusion. She squinted in bewilderment as her 'rescue party' came into clear view. "Iroh?"

Her prince's strong arms wrapped around her neck before anyone was quite clear on what had happened. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her cheek. Korra and Bolin approached as Iroh pulled away by about a quarter of an arm's length. The two sighed in relief and kneeled beside their three friends. Korra gave Asami a wry grin. "Thanks for calling this morning."

A look of complete shock and remembrance fought for dominance, and Asami covered her mouth. Ashamed with her forgetfulness, she declared, "I'm so sorry, Korra. It totally slipped my mind."

"It's alright, but I don't know about your apartment," Bolin said. "Please, tell me it was you that practically ransacked the place."

Asami chuckled darkly, "Yeah, Bolin. I threw the vase."

"Oh, good. Wait! What? Why would you do that? You had us all worried sick." The earthbender protested.

The young woman shrugged sourly and gazed back at the shoreline. "I needed to break something."

Silence briefly enveloped them. It beat down against their ears tauntingly. Unable to stand it any longer, Asami choked out a sob for the first time in a long time. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her slender ribcage wracked with grief. Tamal removed his arm from her shoulders as Iroh's arms cocooned around her protectively. He sat beside her in the sand and hummed an old tune that was often used as a lullaby. She clutched the lapel of his cotton shirt and sobbed into his chest. Gently, he rocked her steadily as Korra pushed her face against the back of Asami's head and Bolin soothingly rubbed her back.

With his chin resting atop of her head, Iroh gazed over at Tamal. The other firebender met his eye with a blank stare, and it was held briefly before Iroh mouthed, "Thank you."

Tamal nodded with a sad smile and whispered, "You're welcome."

* * *

_On the other side of Katara, Bolin jumped when the council chamber doors opened. One by one the members marched back to their seats, and only one remained standing. Disappointment could be read in Tenzin's blue eyes as they narrowed in on Hiroshi Sato and spoke clearly for the entire crowd to listen. "After careful deliberation, we, the Council of the United Republic, hereby find Mr. Hiroshi Sato guilty of the some of the charges of the charges excluding __arson, fraud, conspiracy, domestic violence, murder in the second degree, and attempted murder in the first degree. Mr. Sato shall serve seven years in prison with four years of parole and the possibility of early release with good behavior. Case closed."_

_The mallet rammed against the tabletop._

* * *

"Spirits! What in the name of Tui and La happened to you?" She cried out the instant she saw the fairly fresh wound running diagonally down the length of his torso.

"It's nothing," He assured her, standing and grasping her hands gently, abandoning his work of changing the sanitary swabs along his chest.

"That's not nothing, Mako!" Korra protested, pushing against his hands so that he would sit back down on the stool in their master bathroom. Instantly, she bent the water that he had plugged in the sink and brought it to his chest and lower abdomen. As soon as the water touched his bloody skin, he sighed in relief and gave her a loving look. She met it with a stern glance of her own. "That came from a blade, City Boy."

"Yeah, it did," He replied honestly. Horror and curiosity shone in her blue eyes, and his kissed her wrist reassuringly. Mako knew that she had not expected to find him changing bandages from his knife fight the moment she walked through the door that early evening. "I had them checked out, but no waterbenders were on duty at the station. They're no big deal though, honest. Lin ordered me to come home, and take it easy. I swear, Korra, I'm okay, sweetheart."

Patiently, he awaited her response, and he was surprised to hear it when it finally came. "Lin doesn't usually let anyone go home over a few scrapes, Hotshot."

The disbelief in her tone made him scowl, and he grasped her hands. Mako stood and pulled as close as he possibly could with their twins between them. In complete devotion, he scooped her off of her feet and carried her back into their bedroom. Gently, he laid her head against the pillows and hovered over top of her. Affectionately, he placed butterfly kisses all along her face and neck. His voice was soft. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Korra had to make an effort to keep the confusion out of her voice as he placed his lips against her forehead for an extended period of time.

Mako closed his eyes and breathed in her frosty scent. With a smile, he pushed his cheek against hers. "You smell like the sea."

"I had to find Asami," She muttered in response.

The firebender pulled away slightly in confusion to look at her eyes. Tenderly, he guided her onto her side, and he laid down before her. "Is she all right?"

Korra nodded, blinking, "Just sad."

"We'll bring her dinner tonight," He suggested, kissing her nose.

"Iroh has that covered," She told him, careful not to run her hand over his gash.

"Breakfast then," He decided, cupping her beautiful face.

"Are you going to tell me how you got that?" She whispered, pushing her face into his neck, and tracing below the marring image.

He rubbed her elbow sweetly. "Just an arrest that went bad. It's really not that bad."

"Mako," She sighed. This wasn't normal. The way he was acting. He held her as though it might very well be the last time he would be able to do so. Listening intently, she could nearly hear his elevated heartbeat. "Please, don't lie to me."

His hand wandered down to her swollen belly, and he lightly caressed it with his thumb. He exhaled slowly, unsure of what to say. "I don't want to put any stress on you."

Softly, she punched his shoulder and propped herself up on one elbow. Korra grimaced slightly with the achiness that came with cold weather and an old, brake in a bone. Surliness dripped from every pour of her body, and she curled her lip at him. "I'm the Avatar. I can handle anything _you_ throw at me."

"The Agni Kais?" He hinted.

"Them too," She boldly declared.

"Well, that's good, because apparently they don't like us very much," Mako offered more to his story.

"Nah, between the two of, we can take 'em," She bragged.

"Are you su-?"

"Am I sure? Yes, I'm sure." She finished for him. She placed a bronze finger to his lips before she gave them a quick peck. "You better tell me that story, and what the Agni Kais have to do with it. But, first I need a moment in the bathroom."

Mako chortled with laughter and rolled his eyes. Korra always had to use the bathroom, and now that she was about halfway through pregnancy, her bladder control had gotten worse. She sauntered towards the door, and feeling his eyes on her, she threw him a wink from over her shoulder. "You're still sexy to me, Korra."

The Avatar rolled her cobalt blue eyes playfully and shut the door behind her. The minutes ticked by slowly as Mako laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling, his thoughts filled with worries. If Korra was half as tense as he was from all of the pressure, then she most certainly needed a neck and back rub. Maybe, he would give her a massage during and after his story telling. Maybe that would physically relieve some of her stresses.

"Mako?" He lifted his head up slightly to hear Korra's voice, surprisingly soft, call him from inside of the powder room.

"Yes?"

"Mako, could you come in here? Please."

The firebender's eyebrows knit together in concern, and he sat up. Korra had called him into the bathroom before, but he could not recall a time where her tone had been so unnecessarily calm. He turned the knob on the door. "Yeah, I'm coming. Is everything okay?"

Stepping inside, he found Korra sitting on the floor in front of the toilet with her knees brought up against her chest. In her hand, she clutched something tightly, and her blue eyes, though calm, were haunted. In a flash, he was at her side rubbing her shoulder. "Korra, what's wrong?"

Her baby blues pierced him with the fear they held, and his heart began to pound rapidly as adrenaline flooded his system. She opened her palm to reveal a piece of white cloth stained with a bright scarlet liquid. "I don't know how, or why, or what I did, but it's there. When I-It shouldn't be happening. I'm not hurting, or anything. I'm just bleeding, Mako. Why am I bleeding?"

* * *

**Bam! What did I tell you? Intense! What did you guys think of Asami's disappearance? Iroh's sweet little 'I'll hold you darling' attitude? How about Tamal helping her out? Do y'all really think he's such a bad guy still? ) Ooo and what about Hiroshi's alibi and his confession to Asami? Do you believe him or think he's a nutcase? And what about Mako's little run in with the Agni Kai? And please tell me you guys paid attention to what happened at the end of this chapter?! Review please! Anyou'll have to stay tuned to find out what happens next!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here we are. The conclusion to last chapter's cliffhanger and more. Be prepared for Makorra! :D I love them so much! Please let me know what you think? 3 Much love to all of my readers!**

* * *

"Everything's going to be all right. I promise," The young man swore as he laid his wife back down against the bed. His was voice rushed in an attempt to remain calm, but it sounded almost like he was making an attempt to reassure himself. Placing a quick kiss on her forehead, he desperately reached out for the phone on her nightstand. His fingers trembled as they wrapped around the separate pieces. Not even for a moment did his amber gaze leave her as he awaited an answer on the other line. Impatiently, his knee bounced up and down as he ricocheted his heal against the floor.

"_Hello?" _The young woman could hear a high-pitched, youthful voice answer on the other line and she instantly knew who it was. Any other time, she would have been delighted to hear from her, but now was not the time. Now, was a time to try not to panic. Rubbing her husband's elbow, she propped herself up against the bedframe and returned to her fetal position, one arm wrapped around her legs.

Her husband nearly toppled over with relief at the sound of the other voice on the phone, and he demanded, "Ikki! It's Mako!"

A consistency of incoherent chatter erupted from the other end of the line in excitement over the surprise phone call. Huffing in irritation, smoke blew out of his nostrils and he rolled his eye. His right hand brought the speaker piece as close to his mouth as possible, and doing his best not to hurt the little girl's feelings, he barked, "Look, Ikki, as much as I'd love to chat, I really need to talk to one of your parents, or grandmother. Please, Ikki. It's important."

Well aware that Ikki would continue to jabber, he took the upper hand. In a voice that could only be described as one begging for mercy, he implored with a tone nearing delirium, "Korra's sick Ikki! Please, get me an adult on the phone."

On the other end of the line Korra could hear the nine-year-old say something filled with understanding, a shout, and then a new, deeper voice rumble through earpiece. "Tenzin. Thank the Spirits. It's Mako. Korra, she's bleeding. Is Katara there?"

With lingering anticipation, he waited as Tenzin said something that sounded like, "_Yes. Is she all right? What happened?"_

"I don't know! _We_ don't know. Can Katara help us? " He breathed anxiously, trying to keep his voice steady. "Yes. Thank you, Tenzin. No, we'll come to the Island. Can you fly Oogi over to the docks. He'll be faster than the ferry. Thank you."

As Mako hung up the phone, Naga whimpered beside her mistress, and licked her palm in concern. Quickly, he reached over and patted the polar bear dog's head reassuringly. "It's all right, girl. We'll be home soon. I promise you. I'll take good care of her."

Pulling his hand away, he gently grasped his wife's hand. She peered at him with questioning in blue eyes. "Let me get your coat. Tenzin is going to meet us at the end of street right around the exit you take to get to the piers, and we're going to fly across the bay. Katara is going to meet us on the Island. You and the babies are going to all right there with her. I won't let it happen again."

With their coats on, he adorned her with his old, red scarf just for extra measure. Gently, he lifted her into his arms, and with one last farewell to her pet, closed the front door behind them. Forcefully, he repeatedly pushed the elevator call button, determined for its arrival to be soon. A powerful, petite hand tenderly grasped his strong jaw, and he looked down softly. His lips pushed carefully against her wrist. "Are you in any pain? Am I hurting you?"

"No. That's the weird thing. I'm not hurting at all." She answered giving him a persistent scowl. Despite how much she loved being in his hold, she had no interest in being coddled like an overgrown child.

"Well there's no way I'm letting you walk."

"I _feel _fine," She protested.

"Obviously you aren't though. You're bleeding for Spirit's sake. Please, just do this for me. Let me take care of you, Korra. I _need_ to do this for you." He pleaded like a man begging for his life, and she couldn't understand quite why. But, then it hit her. He had told her countless times before, but she suddenly felt so stupid for only taking his words metaphorically. But, he had actually meant them. She actually was his life. Without her, he would be so lost in this world. Which meant, by rule of thumb, their children were his life as well.

"Fine," She muttered glumly and jabbed a finger into his chest. "But, I'm not happy about it, Mako."

Mako had to smirk when he saw the look in her eyes the same moment the elevator operator opened the gate. The man stared at the darkly humored coupled with perplexed eyes. Typically, when he saw a young man carrying his wife into an elevator, it was to go upstairs, not down. However, when a man carried his _pregnant_ wife into an elevator, it was usually for one reason alone. The elevator operator smiled at them broadly and gestured at Korra's swollen belly, "Time to go, Daddy-o?"

He closed the gate quickly and yanked the lever to make a quick path to the lobby when Mako solemnly told him, "Too early for that. We just need to get to a healer."

The moment the elevator gate reopened, Mako barreled out into the relatively busy lobby. He did his best not to make any sudden or jerky movements for hers and the twins' safety as he made his way around furniture and people, and shouted a genuine thanks to the unknown man that opened door for him. Though he would have disagreed at the time, his eyes were wild, and his hair was slightly array. It was an expression that would have riled most people's dispositions. Close enough to the curb he yelled for a cab, and thanked another kind man that was decent enough to open the door for them.

With the speed of the lightning he could emit from his fingertips, he and Korra were inside the Satomobile cab. He barked directions for driver to continue up the road until the very last corner where it would meet the Coastal Boulevard, and to make it as quick as he could. Mako's palms were beginning to sweat by the time they had made it past the seventh of twenty blocks in a row. Swallowing, he looked to Korra and was surprised to see a small grin on her face. Her hands pushed lightly on the top of her tummy. Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced up at him and whispered, "Mako, they're kicking."

The firebender breathed out a sigh of hope coated in doubt. Carefully, he laced his fingers over the spot Korra's had been just seconds before. They had never felt them kick, and he still couldn't. He frowned in heartache. If Korra was going to lose them, then her stating that they were moving was certainly an unhealthy sense of denial. Mako shook his. Gently, he informed her, "Korra, there's nothing there."

"Yes, there is," She pouted up at him and laughed in delight when she apparently felt another flutter. "He's kicking just like you in the middle of the night."

She chuckled and grasped the lapel of his coat, surprised to see his eyes so sad with such happy news. "I didn't feel anything, sweetheart. I don't think we're going to."

"Mako, trust me." She pulled his face down to hers and she kissed him. "Maybe you just can't feel it yet, but I swear, I do."

His grave disposition did not waiver once. Swallowing, he looked out the window to see how they were doing on time and pace. '_Almost there.'_

Korra tucked her head against his chest once more. "It'll be okay."

Yet, this time, she was even beginning to doubt herself.

* * *

"Almost there. Almost there. Almost there," He chanted as he slid down Oogi's tale with Korra once again in his arms. Silently, somewhere in the back of his mind, he made a mental note to thank Tenzin for being so quick and for landing so close to the family home on Air Temple Island.

"Careful," The middle-aged airbending master warned as he jogged alongside the boy that was very much like his son-in-law. On the porch, Pema, Jinora, and Katara waited patiently, ready to assist if necessary. Apparently, the other three children were under the supervision of other Air Acolytes where they would be out of the way and not under foot. An uneasy look ran across Pema's and her eldest daughter's faces, yet Katara bestowed a look that appeared to give off nothing but serenity.

Along the way, with Tenzin 's back turned to them, Mako had privately checked to see if his wife was still spotting. And, to his horror, the fresh, bright red scar in her garments glared straight back at him. The firebender looked helplessly at the old lady that he had begged to help them. His pace did not slow at all. Panting with fear, he requested from several yards away, "Katara, she's bleeding. I don't know what's happening. Please. The babies."

"Slow down, Mako. Be calm. Everything will be all right. Once this is over, we're all going to have a nice cup of tea," The old waterbending master instructed. In her grandmotherly way, she placed her hand on his shoulder as he unhurried his steady trot. She smiled at him and then at her student, who looked to be stuck in an unusual place between petrified and mortified. Katara brushed Korra's bangs from her face, and continued her list of directions as they stepped inside the house at a brisk walk. "You just walk with me, sweetheart, and we'll get Korra all straightened out. How are you doing, my little waterbender? Don't be afraid at all. You took on a leopard seal when you were nine. I think you can handle this, okay? Pema and Jinora will be with us in a bit to help if we need them to. Tenzin, dear, come along and wait at the door incase I need you."

Mako swallowed as he set Korra gently down on her old bed. Quickly and carefully, her pants, coat, and undergarments had been done away with and a sheet was strung across her lap and over her knees for privacy. Katara grabbed the Avatar's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before she began to inspect the blood and bend the healing water over Korra's abdomen. "I'm glad you two had the sense to come to me. Doctors have been experimenting with new sciences recently, and a lot of them haven't turned out very well. I don't want you winding up as some sort of experiment."

"Cold!" Korra exclaimed, flinching away from icy liquid.

"Sorry, dear," Katara apologized, as she did her best to warm up the water slightly.

"You were the first person I thought of," Mako confessed, running a gloved hand through his windblown hair. His words earned a smile from Katara as she bent more water from a bin on a nightstand. The firebender eyed the room a bit more closely, and was impressed to find that a lot of healer equipment was already prepared in Korra's room. A bucket full of fresh water, a syringe, cotton swaps, bandages, rubbing alcohol, matches, a needle and thread, and many more supplies were strewn out in orderly places all across the nightstand and dresser. A sudden thought occurred to him and he asked, "Where did Pema and Jinora go?"

He knew full well that Katara was pretending to have not heard him, but he also knew that there was a good reason behind it. As the old lady ran her glowing water across the Avatar's womb, she caught the firebender's eye expectantly. Mako glanced back at his surroundings and realized something. _'Towels. They're missing towels. They went to go get towels to clean up all the blood. Just in case she…Not again!'_

His face drained any and all of what little color he actually had, and he once again ran his hand through his hair. This wasn't fair. Tears threatened to spill out of his amber eyes, but he wouldn't dare let them take advantage of him. Yes, the blood was terrifying, but he had thought and hoped and prayed so hard that it was just a scare this time. That maybe this time was not like the last. Reason fought once again. _'No, it's not possible. We're in the clear. She's nearly halfway into her second trimester. There wasn't even that much blood. It was just a few spots. Wasn't it? She can't miscarry. Please, Spirits, don't let her miscarry again. But, I didn't feel them…'_

Her voice drew him in and he looked up when Korra asked, "Katara? Earlier, just like maybe fifteen, twenty minutes ago, I could feel them kicking-at least I think that's what it was, it was like tiny butterfly movements-for the first time. But, Mako, he couldn't feel them. Is there a reason for that, or am I just hallucinating?"

Katara bent the water back into the bin, and rolled her student's shirt back down below her waist. She handed Korra's clothes back to her, which were set directly in the young girl's lap, and sat down beside the Avatar. Korra, with the blanket still in her lap, worked her way into a sitting position much to Mako's disapproval. When he jutted his lip out in refusal, she shook her head at him. The elderly waterbender patted Korra's belly and chuckled lightly. "Oh, you felt them alright. You've got a strong, little pair on your hands. A strong, _healthy_ pair. They're absolutely fine. And by the looks of it, they may even be responding to your voice. Mako can't feel them yet because it's just too soon. He'll be able to in about a week or two after they've had a little bit more time to grow. So, you two are still going to be parents, yes. "

From the other side of the sliding shoji screen, they could see the silhouette of a tall, middle-aged man with a pointed beard pump his fist in the air triumphantly, and give a quiet, but excited, "Yes!"

Korra giggled and spoke up so that the man on the other side of the screen could hear her, "Did you say something, Master Tenzin?"

The silhouette instantly straightened out his robes and squared his shoulders. He cleared his throat, and spoke in his usual, calm tone of voice. "No, no. I didn't say anything. Um-How's it going in there? Is everything all right? Are things okay with you, Korra?"

The Avatar grinned, and a tiny tear of happiness escaped her eyes. "I'm still going to have two people calling me mommy."

Tenzin's silhouette stood frozen for a moment before he reached up and dabbed at what looked to be his eyes. Behind the screen, they could here him sniffle before he told her, "Thank the Spirits. I'm very happy for you, Korra."

Katara, smiled, pleased with her youngest and most stoic son's reaction. She had always known that he had a bigger heart than he led on to have. And she loved when he showed it, whether or not he knew there was anyone watching. She turned back to the young couple before her, both with stars in their eyes. Her heart swelled with happiness and the blues that came with the loss of what they shared. Their love resonated so brightly that it may very well have sparkled if it was put in the sun. They had developed a comfortable kind of quiet, and seemed to be in a competition for who could possess the larger smile.

Knowing that they would go right back to this silent form of communication, Katara figured that now was the best time to interrupt. She deviously pointed her finger at her student and gave her a daring look. "Now you, Korra, you need to relax. You're too high-strung. Just like my brother. He could get worked up over the smallest thing. You on the other hand, seek it out. Try not to, please. I've stopped what little bleeding there is, but I don't think any of us want it coming back. This is your body's way of telling you that you are far too stressed. So, for the three and a half weeks, I'm putting you on bed rest. It'll be good for you and the babies. I want you off your feet. I don't care where you are because you have the travelling bug, so long as it's not in a high-tension environment. But, I do not want you standing or walking around for more than a half an hour at any one time. So, that means no fights."

"But, I-," Korra protested.

"No arguing."

"But-."

"No heavy bending or lifting. Waterbending does relieve some stress though, as I'm sure you've discovered."

"Ugh-."

"Keep you blood pressure down."

This time, the Avatar simply snorted and folded her arms.

"No stressful situation period!" She ordered, annunciating the last word. Katara glanced at Mako, who grinned from ear to ear. "He knows what I'm talking about. Korra, dear, take this time to relax. Maybe come here and spend time with the kids. Enjoy time with each other before the twins come. It'll be busier than ever then. Go through names. Pick out the ones you like and don't like for boys and girls. Shop for supplies and baby clothes. You'll need a cradle or crib, and a changing table. A rocking chair would be nice, and it will be very helpful when they don't go to sleep like you want them to. Start stocking up on diapers. You'll have to wash every single one eventually. Get to work on the nursery. Maybe get a massage. Just do not parade around town on Naga with Bolin or someone else that's not your usual accomplice, declaring that you have Avatar duties. Naga might make the ride a bit too rough, instead take a car and go to the park with her to play fetch. She'll understand. You are taking this time for you. Please, enjoy it."

* * *

"I don't know about that shade. I like this one though. It'll be easiest on their eyes." He insisted, pointing at the fern colored splotch on the wall. "Besides, it's relaxing to the mind."

"I still kind of like the red," She insisted, staring at the wall like her husband beside her.

"Why? So they can grow up to be high-strung and angry all the time?" He teased flatly.

Korra put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Well I'm not mad with you twenty-four seven. Explain that, Hotshot."

"That's because that deep shade on the trimmings is a romantic color," He answered with a superior smirk. "_And, _all of the walls are blue in our room to keep you calm."

"_Me_?" She chuckled with mock offense. She pursed her lips in thought. "Alright, let's make a compromise."

Mako raised one of his sharply hooked eyebrows quizzically, prepared for whatever she planned to throw at him. For the past few weeks, ever since Katara had ordered that she be on bed rest, Korra had been drastically trying to improve her negotiating skills verbally. Surprisingly, there had been a good bit of improvement there as Korra usually backed up her statements physically. She smiled at him innocently. "If you get to pick the color of their room, I get to pick both their names."

"What? No, that's not fair," He argued.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, then I get to pick the room color."

"No," Mako shook his head, knowing full well that she just might live up to it. "Korra, those are both decisions to make as a team. Come on, doll, be reasonable."

Korra tapped her index finger against her chin repeatedly with a look of pure deliberation. At last she lifted it and declared. "Alright, one name. I get to pick one, and then the other is a team decision."

He huffed a sigh of disbelief and shook his head from side to side. "Together. Both names. Together."

"Fine," She finally agreed. His eyebrows rose in surprise and she exhaled. Exasperatedly, she declared. "All right, we'll paint the room your stupid green. Just because I don't want to hurt their eyes and stuff, that's why."

"We can pick a different color if you don't like it," He protested. "I just think that blue and green are good colors for their eyes to handle. They'll be most likely to go to sleep in it is all."

"No, no. I like it," She told him.

Mako cocked his head to the side. "No really Korra, we have other options. I mean blue is a bit masculine if we're having a girl, but we could go with that one instead."

"No, I like that one. Really, I do," She said with a smile, dipping a brush into the fern green bucket. "It's beautiful."

"Okay." Her firebender gave her a gawky grin as he dipped his own roller brush into a platelet. As he got all the way up to the ceiling with each stroke he took, Korra sat on the ground and painted to the top of the crown molding, careful not to hit the pearly white trimming. At one point he felt an unfamiliar coolness on his ankle, and he looked over his shoulder to see Korra marking up the back of his leg. In retaliation, he pushed his finger against his brush, and placed a dollop on her forehead. She pretended to sulk, and before he could move into a standing position, she quickly placed a dot on his nose with her forefinger. Mako grinned deviously, and bent further down. Without turning his face, he pushed his lips against hers so that their noses touched at the tip.

Breaking away, she chuckled and grasped his hand. Giving it a squeeze, she led it down to her belly. "They're kicking again."

For a moment, Mako closed his eyes in concentration, longing to feel the movement his wife claimed to be there. To his complete surprise a light flutter pushed against his fingertips, behind the ceiling of his or her mother's womb. A smile broke out across his face, and he opened his eyes. With great care, he sat down, pushed his face against the part of her belly that he had felt move, and listened. Another kick tapped softly against his cheek, and pride swelled up inside of him. Suddenly, he felt impelled to try and communicate to them, "Hey there guys or gals. I'm your daddy, and I can't wait to meet you. I think you'll like it here. You've got a lot of people that are already so excited that you're coming. You've got your mommy's parents, and her cousins, and her uncle, and your Uncle Bo, and your Aunt Asami, and you've got Tenzin and his family. The list goes on and on. You're mommy and I are going to teach you everything we know, and we're going to keep you safe. We love you very much."

In response, he felt another flutter inside of her womb.

* * *

"How about Feng, _if_ one's a girl and all?" Korra threw out one evening over dinner.

"Ooo, I like it!" Bolin announced, picking his head up from his bowl of rice. It had to be something important for the earthbender to look away from his meal. Like a child that had grown up on the streets fighting for everything, he subconsciously slid his hand over his bowl to protect his meal from thieves. Though his movements were noticed by Asami and Korra, neither said anything about it, well aware of the fact that it would embarrass him. "She'd be one tough kid. I mean really, who wants to mess with someone named Feng? It sounds like she would try to take a bite out of anyone that messes with her."

"It's…interesting." Asami decided, her eyes scanning over one of Iroh's letters. He had left a week after the end of Hiroshi Sato's trial, and ever since then Asami had been very productive in work like she usually was when she was overly stressed. However, after a few days of desperately missing him, she had moved right back into her old habits, and spent much of her time doing the same things she had before. Of course, she now eagerly awaited the postman's arrival every single day, and she made a point of subtly explaining that she was not available to any young man that professed an interest in her.

"I _could _write it down," Mako offered. Though he thought it sounded a bit too aggressive, there was some satisfaction in the idea that his baby girl would have a name that scared away boys long before they would even get close to her. With a smile, lost in thoughts of a blue eyed little girl with tan skin, black hair, and her mother's temperament intimidating an imaginary boy in the middle of a game of hide and explode, he jotted down the name.

Bolin drummed his hand against the table and raised his other excitedly. His green eyes sparked with an idea. "Oh! Oh! If one is a boy, how about Keme or Akito? You could name him after the Spirit! How cool would that be to share the same name as a superhero?"

"Do you know how many kids are going to be running around with those names in about four or five years?" Mako responded, taking another bite of his meal. He smiled when he saw Korra's eyes gleam with the idea. "Every parent thinks that they're the hottest thing at the moment. It won't be unique enough."

"How about Chiyoko, Chiyo for short, or Kiyo for a girl? And for a boy, how about Tadashi or Masao?" Asami suggested, absentmindedly spinning her cup of tea. She looked between her friends expectantly awaiting an answer. "All of those are tried and true."

"They're nice, yeah. But, I don't know. I feel like everybody over forty has that name." Korra glared at her bowl with dire concentration. Her brow furrowed for a moment in thought. "I feel like our kids deserve names that really are all about _who_ they are. Mako, what do we have on the list?"

He looked at the notepad at his side and read off, "For girls we have Shan, Feng, Tao, Ling, Lei, Ming, Anila, Isha, Nishi, Akari, Sachi, Sumi, Chiyo, Kiyo, Yoshiko, Shizuko, and Kaze."

"You didn't put down Vahni," Korra protested. "I like that name."

"Korra, can we please not name our daughter that? I really just don't care for it." He disagreed with a good amount of certainty. The Avatar pursed her lips in determination. She would do everything in her power to make him appreciate that name. Mako returned to his list. "And for boys we have Tadashi, Masao, Isamu, Naoki, Akira, Kai, Kaname, Sakura, Raito, Shin, Shiro, Keiji, Kota, and Kaito."

"Do you like any of those?" Bolin asked.

"A couple. I'm going to need to keep adding to that list though," Korra deliberated. "What about you, City Boy? Do you like any of them?"

"A few stick out in my mind, but I don't want to say anything yet. They just might not be the right names for these little ones," He answered, giving her belly a pat.

* * *

"Try flipping it around," She instructed from the side of the room, watching him try to find a proper place for the new piece of furniture in the nursery. "Maybe it should go there. Oh, there you go, Hotshot. You've got it."

He smirked and backed up to her side to take a proper look at his surroundings. On his way home from work that early afternoon, a piece of furniture in a store window had captured his attention. From years on the street he knew fully well that if one did not take something that their heart desired right away, it would be gone in an instant. He had learned to take, not purchase. The firebender had learned to be frugal with his earnings, but when it came to the people he loved, he was carefully thoughtful. And, now, for Korra's birthday, he knew that such a present would be perfect.

Mako had seen others, but something about this one in particular seemed flawless, and he knew that surprising his wife with it would absolutely bring joy to her day. Carved from ivory, and trimmed with a cobalt blue, the beautiful bassinet was one of a kind. Obviously created by a Water Tribe craftsman, Korra had smiled so wide with appreciation when she saw it in his arms. He had told her, "I just figured, you know, maybe you would like this one. Happy birthday?"

She had kissed him so whole-heartedly that his head had begun to spin. Such a gift was the most wonderful present in the entire world, and quite possibly something that their children could maybe even use for their own some day.

Staring at the bassinet between a rocking chair and changing table lined heavily with cloth diapers and wipes, he pursed his lips. Plush toys and a lamp sat atop of a dresser, and curtains framed the window. A crib already rested across from the doorway, and attached to it was a hand-carved mobile representing the four nations and a gift from Bolin. He looked at Korra with intense amber eyes. "I think it should go in our room."

* * *

"You didn't."

"I did."

"I thought you said you wouldn't buy anything."

"I said that I wouldn't buy anything while _we_ were there. _I _just so happened to be there _alone_."

"You really didn't need to get all of these," Korra insisted, though she smiled gratefully. If she were to immediately accept or reject such a generous gift, she would feel too guilty.

"Korra," Asami urged, organizing her offerings. "You're having twins, you're going to need _all_ of these."

"Twins that will be born in the summer," The Avatar argued.

Asami shrugged as though knowing the season made no difference. "So? You still wear clothes during the summer, don't you? Don't worry. I only bought clothes that are good through autumn. Except for all of those. Those are for winter. Isn't this coat darling? And, they're all made to fit babies that are at _least_ a few months old, so they can grow into them. And if you have two of the same sex, then we can take the non-neutral clothes back and we'll pick out something else."

The Avatar pouted. She had to admit that everything that Asami had picked out was absolutely adorable, even if it was too much. On her kitchen counter, her friend had set three large boxes full of brand new baby clothes down. Gender neutral, boys, and girls clothes and accessories, all purchased in duplicates were folded up in piles by type. In total, there were eighteen onesies not including the eight jumpers, twelve tiny shirts, ten mini pants, eight coveralls, six gowns, four play sets, two jackets, four caps, and twelve pairs of socks.

Unintentionally, Korra began to eye the garments a bit more closely, much to Asami's delight. Without a second thought, she gingerly placed a remarkably endearing little sweater into her friend's hands. Asami smirked and murmured, "Imagine how sweet it'll be to see your baby skirting around in his."

'_Dammit. She's winning. These really are cute.'_ The Avatar thought as her face softened completely. Korra mirrored Asami's sneer as a thought occurred to her. "You're bored aren't you, with Iroh gone?"

Asami rolled her green orbs and grabbed the sweater back from her friend. Folding it, she set it on one of the piles. "Can't you just say thank you?"

* * *

"What if they don't like me?" Mako mused in an unconcerned voice as he scanned a shelf in the shop that he and Bolin had stopped in to see if they could find a few more supplies for the twins. Broodingly, he picked up a trinket, stared at it, and put it back down.

Bolin gave his big brother a surprised look and closed the fairytale book he had been eyeing. Whether or not Mako tried to put much emotion into his words, Bolin could still decipher the mood the boy that had raised him was in. And right now, the elder fabulous bending brother was on the verge of despondency. Scrunching his eyebrows, Bolin asked, "What do you mean?"

Subconsciously, Mako scratched his throat. He threw his little brother a sidelong glance, but quickly looked back at the shelf. Shrugging he answered in a cool tone, "I don't know. They'll love Korra, of course. Just what if they think I'm mean, or they just don't see a point in me being around?"

"You mean the twins?" Bolin tried his hardest to conjure an image of his nieces or nephews disliking their father in anyway, and he found it next to impossible. He could only see them loving his brother whole-heartedly. "Mako, bro, you're crazy man! Of course they're gonna like you! You're their dad. They have to love you!"

"Yeah. Yeah. I guess," He muttered in a shrug, unwilling to show his concern for the lack of valuable reassurance. Sighing, he looked back at the shelf. For a moment, silence enveloped them. "What if they hate me because I mess up with them?"

"How would you mess up?" Bolin challenged.

He shrugged again, spinning a beautiful, ornate top. "I could teach them the wrong life lessons, let them get hurt, not be there for them when they need me. The list goes on."

"Ah," The earthbender murmured in partial understanding. Curiosity had bitten him when he came across small, antique, polished red, black, and gold box. His hands roamed towards it. "Well, does anybody really know how to be a parent? It's a learning experience, right? Everybody messes up a little bit. You did alright with me I think."

'_How reassuring.' _ He thought bitterly. With dissatisfied amber eyes, Mako watched his side tracked brother turn the box over in his grasp, trying to figure out where it opened. "Really though, Bolin, what if I do something wrong that really screws them up. Like if I tell them to stand up for themselves against a bully and they wind up getting their ass beat? How would they forgive me for that? It'd be my fault. Or, I let them go play outside, and they run across the street and get by a car? Or, I criticize them for the wrong things? They'll be bitter and cynical forever. Or, I don't offer them what they need to hear? They'll always be unsure of themselves. Bolin? Bo? Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm? Oh. Oh, yeah. Forgiving you and all that stuff about being emotionally scarred. Yeah, I heard you. I'm trying to figure this out," The green-eyed young man muttered distractedly as he ran his fingers against the roof of the hand-carved, miniature chest. His eyes gleamed when he discovered something new about the box.

"Bolin, will you put the box down and pay attention? I'm _trying _to have a conversation with you. For Spirit's sake, I'm talking about your nieces or nephews, and you don't have anything beneficial to say whatsoever. The Agni Kais are breathing down my neck, and I'm on the verge of wondering if I'll even be able to-," He broke off as the sound of an old Fire Nation lullaby filled his ears.

"Woo-hoo! It was a lever," He chattered excitedly, pointing at an indistinguishable side of the music box.

However, Mako had tuned out the rest of the world as the harmony emitted from the contraption flooded his senses. His eyes strained on the tiny, figures spinning together in a continuous dance as though hypnotized by their circular movement. The words to the tune came to him as a soft voice he recognized from long ago in the shape of a memory. Carefully, he took the box from Bolin's hands and stared at it.

'_Leaves from the vine falling so slow, like fragile, tiny shells drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, come marching home.'_

Mako glanced up at his little brother, who beamed broadly at him, pleased with his find. The firbender spoke up as the tinkering melody began to soften. "Mom."

"Maybe that's just her way of letting you know that everything is going to be okay."

* * *

"Wanna make a bet?" She asked one afternoon in the beginning of spring. Though the morning had been a bit frosty and overcast, the sun had broken out around noon to bring warmth back to Republic City. The snow had melted away, and it seemed as though the trees were considering blooming. Side by side, they sat against a cherry tree, watching the puffy, white clouds roll by and the lightly rushing stream before them. Baby turtle ducklings swam in a line behind the guidance of their mother and in front of the ever-watchful gaze of their father. Children laughed and played around on the fields, and families took strolls down the pathway. Every once in a while a member of the press would try and snap their picture, but so long as they weren't bothered, they didn't really mind.

""Depends," Mako answered before throwing a few crumbs to passing turtle ducks and wrapping his arm around Korra's shoulder. "What's the wager?"

The blue-eyed young woman smirked deviously. "I've been thinking about it for a little while, and my idea was a three-nights-free card. My mom was telling me telling the last time she was here that there were several nights in a row that I would wake her and my dad up a lot during a single night. So that three-night-free card would entail three straight days of a full night's sleep where unless there's an emergency, the winner-me-gets to snooze while the loser-you-gets to take care of these two if they wake up in the night. There's absolutely no turn taking, and it can be used at the winner's discretion. So, for all you know, one of us could want to use it when their toddlers."

Mako smiled smugly back at her. That really didn't sound like a bad idea at all. "Under the conditions of?"

"One of us guesses the right sex."

"Of the first or second born?"

"I was thinking we'd combine it. So that we have to get both right for it to work, or else all bets are off the table. I all ready know you think that they're both girls. But, I think we're having two boys."

"No," Mako interrupted with a broad grin. He placed a gloved hand on her stomach. "I actually think we'll have one of each. A girl to keep her brother in line, and a boy to watch out for his sister. They'll be the perfect duo. She'll have your feisty temper, and he'll be headstrong just like you. They'll both have your eyes, and I know for certain at least one of them if not both of them are going to be waterbenders."

"Is that what you've been picturing this whole time?" Korra asked sweetly.

He tightened his scarf around his neck a bit and his cheeks turned slightly pink. "Well, not the _whole_ time. The majority of it though, yes. Why? Did you picture something different?"

She giggled in response. "Boys, for starters. And, I always thought any and all of our children would resemble you. Dark hair, tall, light skin, golden eyes. One or both are definitely firebenders."

Mako frowned and lit a small flame in his palm. It had caused him so much destruction and pain, yet he had never been ashamed of the power he possessed. Like a tiny heartbeat in his hand, fire was life. With Korra, he had created life; two lives to be precise. Perhaps if one of his children could bend his element he wouldn't mind so much. He closed his fist abruptly, extinguishing the heat, and throwing her a wry grin. "Maybe so. But, that could a bet for another time."

"So do we have a deal, City Boy?" She inquired, her tone dropping as she pushed her face nearer to his challengingly. Pointedly, she extended her hand out for him to shake.

He narrowed his eyes and smiled. Quickly, he grabbed her extended hand. Yet, instead of shaking it, he pulled her in and captured her lips, sealing it with a kiss. Almost as swift as he had gone in, he pulled back. A side of his lip quirked upwards as he accepted her friendly challenge. "You have yourself a bet, Avatar."

* * *

**Okay, might I just say, How fricken adorable is Mako? With just everything! And the way he is with Korra? I know pregnant women aren't really supposed to paint, but this is based around the 1920s remember and they didn't have all of the knowledge we do today. What do you guys think they'll be having? Make your bets ASAP cause I promise, they're coming soon! Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**After long last! I know, it probably seems like I just fell off of the face of the Earth or something, but I assure you that I have not. Although, with college stuff it sort of feels like it. I'm extremely sorry to have kept you all waiting so long. And, I really hope you all can forgive me for that. I promise I am going to do my best to be more punctual with these chapter updates. I do recommend listening to some tracks like 'Love Faces' by Trey Songz and 'Can't Help Falling In Love With You' by Elvis Presley during the major Makorra scene in this chapter. I hope this in the very least satiates your need for the next chapter! Please let me know what you think and let me know if I've still got it, or if you think I've lost my touch. Enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Here you are, kiddo."

With a broad grin the little girl on the counter happily accepted the lollipop from the officer before her. One hand was clamped over her left eye, but the other green orb twinkled brightly. His charming smile caused her to blush, and she gingerly swung her short legs over the edge. "Thank you, Officer Kuro."

"You're welcome, future Officer Aiko." The waterbender told her, tapping the brim of the borrowed officer cap on her head so that it would not fall into her face. Ever since Chief Lin Beifong had adopted her, Aiko had captured the hearts of the entire force. Her smile and endearing temperament had nearly everyone offering to please her, even if that meant going against their current assignment to do so. To the officers, she was the ideal daughter or niece. After discovering this trait about her daughter however, Lin had requested that during the majority of her many visits to the station she would stay behind the front desk of the lobby where she would not cause too much distraction. And now, that was exactly where she was, entrancing all of the officers on duty there.

"All righty, Aiko, let's see it," Another young man beside Kuro requested, stepping forward with a cut piece of raw, semi-frozen meat. He smiled at her convincingly, but playfully winced when she pulled her hand away from her face to reveal a swollen black eye. Gently, he pushed the meat against it. "Keep that there. It'll make the swelling go down, and keep it cool. The other guy looks worse, right?"

"Sure does," Aiko chirped in her little voice, giving the man that had taken her off the streets a big smile.

"Put her there," The handsome firebender offered, holding an open hand up in congratulations. The six-year-old immediately gave him a powerful high five, and the young officer pretended to shake his hand off from the sting. She giggled as he and Kuro began shifting through paperwork on either side of her. However, she had no doubts that both of their attentions were strained on her. Mako threw her a lopsided grin. "I certainly wouldn't have picked a fight with you, squirt."

"Yeah," Kuro chuckled in agreement. "What kid would be crazy enough to want to challenge Chief's daughter?"

"Councilman Tenzin's son," Aiko informed them in a matter of fact tone. A smug smirk played at the corners of her mouth. Mako and Kuro looked at her in surprise. They had both assumed that it had been a schoolyard bully, or that she had gotten into a scuffle with another kid from the streets. However, her confession made sense considering the fact that it had been the council page that had delivered her into their custody. He had left her with the two young men after they had requested to look after her without any questions asked, and had gone into the back to speak with Chief Beifong.

"That airkid did this to ya?" Kuro asked with a frown. He had a particular favoring of Aiko, and he often took her side in the many fights he had witnessed between her and Master Tenzin's elder son.

Aiko nodded, "Meelo's a real lily-liver! He kept trying to float away from me. When I hit him in the gut with a rock, he finally tried to fight me. When he punched me in the eye, I put his face in the dirt."

"That no good little punk! He deserves it. Next time make his head roll," Kuro huffed earning a giggle from the little girl.

"Well, what were you fighting about?" Mako requested much more objectively than his partner. Although he viewed Aiko as a beloved niece or baby sister, he was also rather fond of the strange little airbender. And, he knew that favoring one would be unfair. Meelo and Aiko were often at two extremes. They either got along splendidly from their happy-go-lucky nature, or their opposing opinions would cause a gigantic rift.

"He started it," Aiko insisted with a pout. "He was bragging about boys being better than girls. And I told him that he was wrong. And he said that because I was a girl I wasn't as good of a bender as him. And, I said I'd prove it to him."

"And did you?" A humored feminine voice asked.

All three people clustered around the front counter turned around rapidly at the familiar voice. One face glanced at her apprehensively while the other two looked on with a slight amount of anxiety and plunged themselves back into work. Aiko seemed to be debating whether she should beam at her mother proudly, or lower her face in guilt. So, she answered honestly, "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't bother," Lin Beifong ordered the two young men feigning productivity. Uncertainly, they obeyed and faced her. The middle-aged woman tried to hide the grin on her face. The Council Page stood nervously behind her, awaiting further instructions as the Chief addressed her daughter. The esteemed officer stepped forwards and folded her arms over her chest. "You're going to have to apologize to Meelo and Councilman Tenzin for disrupting his time. You and I will be headed to City Hall as soon as I've finished some paperwork of mine. Officers Mako and Kuro will keep an eye on you for now."

Addressing the Page she said, "You can inform Councilman Tenzin that he can be expecting my presence in the next half hour with my daughter. Send him my apologies."

"Yes, Chief Beifong," The Page nodded frantically, skirting out of the headquarters with great speed.

"Are you mad, Mommy?" A small, innocent voice asked.

Lin's hardened green eyes lost all edge to a point that both Mako and Kuro had previously thought impossible. They had never seen their Chief so, dare they say, _soft_. Aiko brought out a whole new side to Lin. Though it was often masked by the callous woman that expected the best from her officers, Aiko managed to bring out her compassions in her everyday actions more often than not. Within weeks of her adoption, Aiko had begun to address Lin as her mother, and nothing else in the world made her happier to hear. The Chief grinned at her, and ran her fingers through Aiko's light brown hair pushed down by Mako's cap. "No. Maybe next time you can try metalbending against him. But, that doesn't mean I want you picking a fight with him every time you see him. You know better. We'll leave in a little while."

Aiko's nose crinkled with her grin as her mother gave her a wink and caressed her soft cheek before turning to give her two officers a look. "Have you two managed to crack our friend in protective custody?"

Kuro and Mako exchanged stern glances. The Agni Kai Mako had arrested after a deadly fight and pursuit a few months ago had yet to reveal any information to the officers. Mako assumed that it was in order to not be killed by the Agni Kais once he was released, but the odds for that were highly improbable. It wasn't that police had not offered their protection, but thier was only so much they could do once he was a free man. But for now, he was detained in a holding cell. The firebender shook his head. "No, ma'am. But, I promise we'll get something out of him soon."

Chief Beifong nodded solemnly and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mako, I feel that you should just sit out his next questioning."

"But why?" He protested, a flash in his eyes mixed between hurt and anger.

"Because I said so," She told him a bit forcefully. He made a sharp intake of breath out of resentment and her voice returned to its softer tone from before. "You'll understand. It'll be for your own good. Just come and observe his next questioning Friday morning if you want to be there."

Mako frowned with a sigh, and nodded. She patted his shoulder and walked back to her office in the back of the station. Immediately he returned to his paperwork, and Kuro and Aiko exchanged uncertain glances. The little earthbender scooted herself back on the counter and crossed her legs Indian style. She rested the weight of her head against her hand holding the defrosting meat over eye, and peered curiously at her big brother figure. "Mako?"

His amber eyes looked up at her curiously, and he stopped fumbling through the files. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched another officer at the counter finish their conversation with a civilian, and he heard the sound of people conversing in the lobby. "Yes?"

"Why are you angry?"

He gave her the ghost of a smile that hardly reached his eyes. In all honesty, he was not angry, or sad. But, there was a nagging sense of betrayal. That man knew something about his parent's death, contained possible information on a way to stop whatever the allusive Agni Kais had planned next for Republic City, and had yet to come forward about anything other than what Mako had scared out of him on the rooftop. And now he felt denied the chance to discover more by a woman he trusted with his life. "I'm not angry."

Aiko jutted her lip out in a pout. The former little gazed at the elder skeptically. Feeling his cap slip off her head, she rapidly reached up to catch it, and the two men chuckled. Her green eyes narrowed and she protested, "Yes you are!"

"No I'm not," He shook his head.

"Are too."

"Am not," He disagreed before shaking his head with the realization that an argument with the child would be futile.

"Yeah, you are," Kuro teased, flashing Aiko a grin. He and the six-year-old bumped knuckles cheerily, pleased that they were on the same side. Mako rolled his amber eyes with a lack of patience, and set back to work.

Clearly not finished with making her point, Aiko continued, "I think you're angry because you thought Mommy would let you talk to that guy. I think she wants you to know what he's gonna say, but she knows that when you talk to him and don't get anything out of him, it makes you even madder. I think she thinks it'll be good for you to focus more on Korra and the babies in her belly instead of that chump. Cause they're you're future, and what happened with that guy is history. He's a no good, poop headed dis-des-distraction."

"Words of wisdom," Kuro announced, jerking his thumb towards the little girl that smiled broadly at them.

The amber eyed boy blinked, perplexed. He had never really thought of the situation from that perspective, yet for Aiko to have pointed it out, it must have held a great deal of truth. The Agni Kais were his current distraction in this time that he needed to focus on his wife and her needs. He smiled at Aiko, the tension washing from him with the realization. Aiko quickly noted the change in his aura and declared, "Told you. I was right, butthead."

Mako chortled and bent down to place a kiss on her nose. Playfully, she cringed, but it was hard to miss the bright red blush forming on her cheeks. "Sure, squirt."

"Hey," Kuro called, pointing to the clock on the wall. "Speaking of Korra, didn't you have a surprise pre-anniversary thing planned for her?"

The fabulous bending brother's face fell as he looked at the clock on the wall. For him, he was running low on time. Mako was always punctual, early actually. Korra would be home from the Council by five that evening and it was nearing noon now. His shift had technically ended in fifteen minutes and he would have had Kuro pull that brief period of weight for him, but he had taken Aiko under his wing. Regretfully he looked at his partner for his permission to leave as the little girl chattered excitedly, "Ooo a surprise? What are you going to do for her?"

The firebender couldn't refuse the opportunity to entertain Aiko's girlish fantasies that she had taken to from Ikki. So, he quickly told her, "Well, our anniversary is technically our first anniversary just the two of us, so I'm going to surprise her with a three-quarters anniversary."

"You're going to give her three copper pieces?" Aiko asked with a look of disappointment.

Kuro chuckled behind his partner as he tried to explain without going into the adult aspects of what he had planned for that evening. "No, I'm going to get her flowers, and make her dinner, light candles, maybe dance with her, give her chocolate strawberries."

"How romantic," Aiko gushed.

Teasingly, he flicked his gaze around the room as if to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their _very private _conversation. He leaned closer to her ear, well aware that Kuro was listening. Mako lowered his voice to a loud whisper, thrilled by her excitement. "Yeah, I might even kiss her."

* * *

"_I don't like it either, Korra. But, we'll have to wait until tomorrow when General Iroh's fleet comes back into port. He'll be able to help us attend to this mess," _Tenzin had urged the frazzled Avatar that midafternoon after a very unpleasant Council meeting. Korra had been virtually ignored the entire session, and it had not gone over well with the young girl. Her airbending master's instructions still rang through her mind as she ventured off the elevator of her apartment building.

She huffed in irritation as she trekked towards her door. The Council had done this on purpose. They knew that she and Tenzin, along with their families, were due in the Fire Nation that coming Saturday, merely three days time to celebrate Prince Iroh's twenty-seventh birthday. And, they had scheduled this large decision to take place directly before they were to depart.

The lights were off when she stepped into the entryway, but she could hear the radio playing softly somewhere in the large flat she shared with her husband, and eventually their twins. And, a glow seemed to illuminate the room ahead. Different aromas filled her nostrils, and she was pleased by what she smelt. Spices and sweet scents swirled in the air, and she knew that Mako had already prepared a dinner that would not make her queasy in the slightest. Her tension settled as she sauntered forwards, her hands resting protectively on her rounded belly out of habit. Softly she called, "Mako?"

She heard a door open down the hall and a quick patter of footsteps as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. Her mouth slacked slightly ajar at the sight before she grinned broadly at the man that appeared in the hallway. He skirted to a halt and cleared his throat, smoothing his hair back in a nervous fashion. The handsome firebender smiled sheepishly at her, and revealed a single, white rose from behind his back. As he extended it to his wife, she looked him up and down, more than impressed.

Mako stood before her in his full police dress uniform. His shoes polished, outfit ironed, and high collared coat well worn. His scarf, she assumed, was tucked safely away somewhere in their room. He was dressed to the nines, and he couldn't help but smirk as he watched her practically undress him with her eyes. Though his main goal was simply to give Korra a wonderful evening that entailed whatever she wished for, it did help that she found his uniform absolutely irresistible.

She tried to hide her blush as he kissed her cheek, accepting his rose. "What's all this for?"

"You mean that?" He questioned innocently gesturing towards the parlor and just past it where a table on their balcony was set for two, lit by candlelight, and adorned with a bottle of chilled sparkling cider. Mako shrugged nonchalantly. "Dinner."

"Okay, Hotshot." She rolled her eyes incredulously before he took her hands in his. "Seriously, what's the occasion?"

"Does there have to be an occasion to do something nice?" He teased, his honey eyes illuminated by the setting sun visible through the sliding glass door.

"Typically," She shrugged with a smile. "But, if there isn't one, that's fine too."

He raised his shoulders. "Well, there's not really an occasion per say. But, I was thinking that with the twins coming soon, there's a slight possibility that it'll be the four of us, and not the two of us on our anniversary. So, I was considering doing something nice for today- our three-quarters anniversary. Not just for that, but because I wanted to."

Korra raised an eyebrow and teased, "So should I not expect anything on our actual anniversary?"

"Well, I didn't say _that_," He disagreed, trying to mask the little bit of hurt with humor. Mako squirmed slightly under her intense blue eyes, and he confessed, "I wanted to do something because you're special to me, Korra."

Carefully, she stretched herself up onto her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. He blushed hotly at her affection. Even though they had been in a committed relationship for three years, married for almost one of those years, and had seen every single inch of each other, there was still something about the other that made their stomachs do flip flops and their hearts patter rapidly against their ribcages. "I love you. Give me one second, okay?"

He didn't have to ask where she was going because he already knew. She wasn't going to change into anything nicer, because she already looked lovely from her day with the council. And, this was simply Korra. She was headed straight to the bathroom. At once he urged her to use the guest bathroom, because walking to their master bath meant heading through their bedroom, and he couldn't have her going in there just yet. She hadn't bothered to give any perplexed look, but simply told him from behind the door that it was where she had been planning to go in the first place.

When they sat down to eat, Korra was delighted to discover that Mako had made Superspicy Souffle. Swallowing a bite that he had fed her, she grinned at him. "You know? I've heard that when a woman craves something really hot and peppery all the time, it's because she's having a boy."

Mako chuckled, flashing her a million dollar smile that was almost as bright as the city lights below and around them. From where they sat, facing westward, they could see the sun begin to lose the last claims of red it had emitted over the sky. A spring breeze blew between the buildings and the two shivered slightly. "You're really dead set on that. I told you, I don't doubt that there's at least one."

"There's two," She argued immediately. He rolled his eyes and she grinned at him. Gently, she grasped his hand. "How was work?"

"Good. For the most part." When she pegged him with a curious ecpression, he told her the story of what had happened with Aiko's arrival at the station.

"That explains why Pema picked Meelo up today. Don't worry about Lin not letting you question him. There's a reason."

"I wish I knew what." He murmured, setting his fork down on his plate as he finished his meal.

"Our health," She muttered under her breath.

"_Our_ health?" He asked with a wry grin.

"Mako, you need to relax. I know you're worried, but everything is going to be alright, it always is," She told him with a reassuring smile.

"Says the pregnant girl that charged headfirst into a mob fight to save some Red Monsoon kids," Mako baited. He was still rather upset about that fiasco that had occurred just over a couple months ago. Although pleased and happy that she and the three little boys had made it out okay, the thought of losing her and his twins had practically destroyed him.

"And everything was okay," Korra retorted pointedly.

"After you spent a good twenty-four hours in the hospital." Mako shuddered at the memory. She had done so well after she had shown up on the scene, hardly setting foot into the wild action. A whole group of Agni Kai soldiers had taken the three young children of Red Monsoon Boss, Koots Katashi, for ransom, and had murdered his wife in cold blood. With the high stake situation, Korra had rushed inside the front under the influence of the Avatar State. The young woman had personally rescued the little boys, ultimately prevented them from becoming complete orphans, and had produced none other than Crackles Charan to the police for his swift arrest. Yet, she had not come out completely unscathed with a blade sticking out of the back of her shoulder.

Mako's stomach had churned the whole night afterwards. It was an unspoken code of conduct between the triads that the Agni Kais had so mercilessly broken. Women and young children were never to be involved in such a high-risk situation. Not only had the Agni Kai Triad committed this crime against the Red Monsoons, they had perpetrated against him personally. They had put his family in danger.

Korra smiled at him sweetly. Sure it had been a dangerous situation, but she had not ever intended to put her twins in harms way. She had known that she could handle it, even if that meant taking a knife to the shoulder. Across the table she grasped his hand. "I was thinking of those little boys. And I was thinking of the two we're going to have. I would have done the same thing for our babies."

"I know you would have. I would have too." He said with a loving look before pulling her fingers to his lips.

Thunder rolled somewhere off in the distance and Mako jumped in surprise, earning a giggle from his wife. He stuck his tongue out at her and she mimicked the gesture. It wasn't raining anywhere near them, so the sudden noise had caught them both off guard. The few clouds in the distance were spread over the mountains and sea to the north where lightning flashed every so often, but the sky above was clear. Stars shone, but some were difficult to see, shrouded by the city lights below. Satomobiles rolled by on the streets of their uptown neighborhood, and several ant-like pedestrians strolled on the sidewalks below. The air was crisp and smelt of the sea. Soothing, jazzy music muddled together from afar, but the loudest was their own radio set to romantic music.

"Care to dance?" Mako asked, offering her his upturned hand as he recognized the slow, melodramatic tune. She quirked an eyebrow at him. They had danced together numerous times, and both thoroughly enjoyed the exhilaration that came with styles such as the Swing, Charleston, and Lindy Hop. But, since the middle of her pregnancy they had to drift towards easy songs that just demanded simple movements. Even though what played met this requirement, it was more of a song to cling close to each other with and merely rock back and forth, and right now the ball shape of her stomach would separate them. He smiled, "_Sway _with me then."

And that's exactly what they did. On the balcony of their flat, Mako wrapped his arms around her from behind, beneath her breasts and above her swollen belly, and pulled her back close against his chest. Lovingly, he rested his chin in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. Korra leaned into him and did the same, admiring his spicy, cinnamon scent as they moved gently from side to side.

She couldn't possibly have been any happier than where she was, in the arms of the man that loved her more than life itself, with their children soon to be on the way. Altogether, despite the few ups and downs that came with moodiness and natural stress, her pregnancy had been a fairly pleasant one. The twins had done wonders for her hair and complexion, her nausea had not lasted long, other than a few spells of fatigue she still had a fair amount of energy, and she had really not put on much weight anywhere other than where it was required of her-namely her breasts and womb. Her hormones that cause mood swings had only affected her slightly. The hormone that had affected her the most was the one that controlled her eroticism, and thankfully just about everything she did turned Mako on, pregnant and all. Only recently had they been required to become a bit more creative, and only recently had she become slightly restless and uncomfortable in her day to day activity. In fact, she was fairly certain that within a few weeks she would no longer feel quite so spectacular carrying them.

"_Run away with me tonight. Run away with me, and we'll hide away, underneath the Bodhi tree." _His singing surprised her. It was not often that she heard him actually utter the words to a song. Hum yes, but hardly ever so tenderly into her ear. _"Where we'll fall asleep, in each others' embrace. It'll be our place to keep, where we control the pace."_

His lips pushed and caressed the exposed caramel skin on her neck gently, and she tilted her head away to accept more of them, her chocolate hair cascading down her back and off of her other should. From his heart he whispered compassionately, "I love you, Korra."

She turned slightly in his hold so that she could look up at him clearly. His forehead pressed against hers and she answered, "I love you too."

Before either of them really consciously absorbed what they were doing, they found themselves walking back through the sliding door. Korra barely felt her feet come off the ground as Mako swooped her into his hold, she only knew her arms around his neck. Attached at the lips, the young firebender carried his bride down the hall towards the most sacred place in their home. He had left the door slightly ajar so that it was simple to walk inside, and as he stepped through the entrance, Korra looked up from his arms in awe.

The place around her had to have been pulled directly out of one of Jinora's romance novels. Candlelight illuminated a steady glow in the room around them, causing the blues of the walls to emit a rippling effect like that of gently flowing water. Soft music played on the radio, and Korra noticed that it was the same station as the one playing down the hall. However, it was not quite as loud, simply meant to set the mood. The fragrance of vanilla hung in the air, and when she looked at the bed, her heart melted. He had taken the time to change the satin sheets on their mattress to their sixteen hundred thread counts, and had carefully scattered rose petals across nearly every inch of it.

As he laid her down in the center of the bed she pulled his mouth back down to her own. His lips were soft and sweet as they pushed against hers. Discreetly slipping his tongue in to part her mouth, he nibbled gently on her bottom lip. She sighed in satisfaction as she tangled her fingers through his neatly combed hair, yearning for his touch. Yet, Mako chuckled and simply sat down on the edge of the mattress, pecking her forehead before pulling away. He stood and gestured to another chilled bottle on their dresser where he had also collected a platter of chocolate covered strawberries. "Would you like some cider, Korra?"

It took all of her willpower to not deny his offer and demand that he return to the bed at once. However, she knew that he had done all of this to please her. So regardless of how much she wished to tear his clothes off that instant, she complied and gingerly took the glass from him as soon as he rejoined her. He smiled charmingly at her, clinking their glasses together in cheers. Eagerly, Korra tossed it back, gulping it all down before he had even finished his first swallow. With a seductive twinkle in her eyes, Korra ran her hand up his clothed chest and pushed her chest up against him as she whispered in a sultry tone, "Put that down."

Mako was not really surprised, not in the slightest. He had seen the desire that she had been fighting since he first came into view that evening. And now her patience had worn thin. She had never been one to like waiting. The firebender wasn't entirely sure what exactly had caught her interest entirely; it could have been the romantic atmosphere he had created, his uniform, or perhaps just her hormones and the knowledge that he was more than willing to comply with her wishes. But, it was clear that she had lost all resolve the moment he set foot into their bedroom with her in his arms.

Obediently, Mako set his glass down on his nightstand beside one of the candles. Nimbly, he stood and pulled her up by her hands. Tucking her as close as possible against his chest, he buried his face into her long, silky hair and held a kiss to the top of her head. Sweetly, he swayed back and forth to the relaxed rhythm of the music, and she suddenly realized he was once again humming to her. Pulling her head back, she pushed herself up on the balls of her feet to look at him. The look that he gave her could not be described as anything less than pure, tender, devotion.

She had heard countless times that a woman could know a man loved her simply by the way he looked at her, but she had never really given it much mind until she had fallen in love with Mako. When she saw him looking at her like this, she saw herself back at the South Pole, bending newly restored and mutual feelings confirmed. Without a second thought, she kissed him, drinking him in like no other time before. Immediately, he pushed back steadily but with the same burning passion that he could control his element with.

The first time he broke away from her was to unbutton his formal officer coat, toss it on a chair by their nightstand, and to remove the white t-shirt underneath. His chest bare, he returned to pushing tender kisses against her lips with his strong hands holding her waist. Their eyes shut merely to rememorize the feel of being so close together. Mako's hands gently skimmed the sides of her swollen belly, caressing the place where their children grew before his fingers slipped beneath her pleated blouse. As though their minds were melded into one with the same idea, Korra tilted her head back as her husband peppered her throat with kisses. Her arms stretched above her as he pulled the top off and discarded it on the chair where his coat had landed previously. His strong hands found her face, and he cupped her cheeks gently as she carefully unbuttoned his trousers and then pushed down her own leggings.

With ease and cordialness of a true gentleman, he slid one arm behind her legs and picked her up out of the clothing at her ankles. He set her down just on the other side of them and carefully stepped out of his own as he continuously focused on his wife running her fingers through his hair. Slowly, he guided her backwards until she bumped up against the bed. Once more she sighed in response to his actions, but he was positive that this one was almost a gasp as he nipped lightly at her collarbone. Her eyes rolled back, and in gratitude Korra returned the favor. His fingers couldn't get enough of her as he kneaded the smooth skin of her back searching for the clasps of her undergarments.

At a leisurely pace, Korra sat back down against the mattress and wrapped her legs around one of his knees. Mako kneeled down over her, supporting himself with one hand and holding her neck with the other as she went back on her elbows. When Korra's kisses became a bit more heated and tempting, and in spite of his own nagging longing, he smiled and gave her an innocent peck. "Patience."

Korra frowned at him, but he ignored this and continued his quest for more pleasant touches. Unintentionally, he moaned with bliss as the tips of her fingers teased the sensitive skin of his chest. She grinned during the brief moment she had the upper hand, but gasped the instant she felt her panties skid over her inner thigh as they were completely discarded. Her breath became quickened, but he made no move to entertain the action. Instead, he guided her further up the bed so that they laid side by side against their feather-stuffed pillows.

Mako rubbed every inch of her skin, up the back of her thigh, beneath her bottom, across her waist, against the sensitive tissue on the underside of her breasts, and trailed his fingers up and down her throat. In turn, she traced the smoothness of each of his scars, reminders of each time she could have lost him forever. The skin around the stab wound at the bottom of his torso tickled and he squirmed. She giggled and pressed her lips to his cheek, "Sorry."

"It's alright," He whispered before returning to the task at hand.

His orange eyes gleamed with affection when she whimpered against him, "Love me?"

Her blue eyes were bright with adoration as he responded, "Forever."

* * *

The metal hitched door creaked open to reveal a figure crumpled on the ground, huddled into the corner of the cell. Against the new light cast inside, the brownish-eyed man squinted as the door shut behind the newcomers. But, the fear that sparked in them made it clear that he knew exactly whom his visitors were. His voice was panicked as he whispered, "Hi, fellas. Need something?"

Leaving two large goons to block the doorway, the smallest man in the group stepped forward and nonchalantly scratched the inside of his palm. Adorned in Republic City Officer Uniform, the man knelt in front of the cowardly convict. Nonchalantly, he scratched his palm before smiling at him. "How'd the interview go yesterday, Xin?"

"Didn't anybody listen in on it?" Xin asked with honest curiosity.

A smile on his face, the other man patted Xin's cheek roughly, "Don't talk back to me, Xin. I don't appreciate it. The boys don't appreciate it. The _boss_ doesn't appreciate it."

Horror shone in Xin's eyes at his counterpart's words. "Honest, Xun! I thought someone was listenin!' I didn't give away nothin.'-"

"Please, lower your voice," Xun pressed in a hushed tone. Xin froze out of terror and did not utter another word as the man continued. "Did you know we had friends here, Xin? Me neither. Well, not until yesterday. Yesterday, we heard some news. You slipped up, Xin."

"No," Xin squeaked in desperation.

"And, the boss doesn't have time to fix leaky faucets, so I've been given an assignment."

"Please." The prisoner on the ground begged pathetically.

"Maybe if the timing had been better we could have done something about it. But, today with lots of important people out of town, it wasn't a good time."

"Please, Xun," Xin pleaded. Tears of remorse and distress swirled in his brown eyes, but in the mirror before him, there was nothing but disgust. "We're brothers."

"Sorry, but orders are orders," Xun told him with a smile. But, as he motioned for the two bulky men behind him to move in on Xin, his expression turned completely heartless. "And, you didn't follow yours."

* * *

**How do you like Aiko's relationships with Kuro, Mako, and Lin? Do you like her character? And how about the Makorra lovin? Or the last scene? Was it to 'Filler'-ish? I hope not. Let me know if you guys have any comments, questions, ****ect in reviews. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading guys! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Yay! A fairly quick update, especially compared to the last. I promise the next one will be up in no time. I'm sorry this is a little short, but it goes through a bit of info. be prepared for some romantic angst of multiple ships! Enjoy!**

* * *

As they trekked down the cool marble floored corridors of the Fire Nation Royal Palace, Mako could not help but notice how the heavy air seemed to cling to him in the humid climate. The numerous decorative ceiling fans above offered assistance in circulating the air currents around them, but it was still very much unlike the late springs and early summers of Republic City where it would not get muggy like this until July and only last until August. Back home in the city early June was foggy and crisp in the mornings, and often followed by a drier warmth in the afternoon. Even though he had travelled to the Fire Nation before a few times with Korra on her trips, he still found the climate foreign and peculiar. Yet, he did not dislike it for its difference from his native city.

Perhaps it was the firebender in him that made it tolerable. But, it was more likely the clothing, which provided a way for his skin to breathe, that made it bearable. His formal, carmine Jodhpuri pants, gold and black Khussa shoes, and ebony satin vest all provided a coolness to battle the heat. As did Bolin's, who wore a similar outfit. The earthbender had made several comments already about how he felt '_so free_' in their party clothes.

Team Avatar, along with Tenzin's and Chief Beifongs' families, had arrived at the Fire Nation capital in the middle of the day as honored guests for Crown Prince Iroh's twenty-seventh birthday party. As personal friends of Iroh, they had all been given their own suites in the massive residence for the duration of their stay. They had settled in without any complaint whatsoever. Bolin had automatically decided that he and Pabu would be happy to become permanent residents. After freshening up with his wife, Mako had changed into his attire for that evening's event and gone off on a walk with Bolin around the palace. Korra and Asami went on their own venture around the grounds, and Mako was certain that the Avatar was discussing the dynamics of Iroh's family with the heiress in preparation for their first meeting. The first couple of hours after they had arrived, Iroh had been attending to duties with a fleet of United Forces ships stationed in the Capitol's harbor, but at the moment his current whereabouts were unknown to the fabulous bending brothers. And their hosts, according to the General, would be unreachable until that evening.

Now, Mako and Bolin strutted around the labyrinth of corridors that was the palace, back towards where they believed their suites to be. Having grown up with practically nothing but the clothes on their back, the two were in complete awe of their surroundings. The high ceilings, gigantic columns lining the hallways, murals and artworks, banisters; absolutely nothing ceased to amaze them. They stared at everything with a combination of disbelief and desire. All of their clothes were pre-provided, bought and paid for by the royal family. But it was not just the decorations. It was also the fact that they would have been waited on hand and foot if they so wished. Bolin had almost considered taking advantage of that, but Mako had immediately dismissed the flustered servant.

"Do you ever think about how fortunate we are, Bo?" The firebender asked, staring down the high-ceilinged corridor. "I mean we've been through hell and back. And, look at this place."

"It's pretty amazing," Bolin answered with a grin, scratching the fire ferret curled around his shoulders behind the ears. His green eyes could not miss the happiness radiating in his elder brother's amber orbs. Growing up on the streets he had seen Mako hardened by the cruel ways of life, never sure where their next meal would come from or where they would sleep through the night. But it was clear to the earthbender that his only sibling had once again begun to enjoy the world, and now Mako had more than he could have ever hoped for. The firebender had a well-paying job, a home that he had purchased, a vehicle, he knew that his brother was able to support himself, and they had what had been taken from them as children-a complete family.

"Where we are now is just incredible. Where we've been, where we're going, what we've done, who we've met." He added. A contemplative man of few spoken words, Mako paused before flashing his baby brother another smile. "Who we have."

"Soon to have two more," Bolin grinned, giving his big brother a congratulatory pat on the back.

Mako's face brightened and he returned the pat. In thought he whispered, "Yeah, two more."

Their rooms' entrances now visible, Bolin spoke before they returned to the presence of the two young women they loved so dearly, treasuring the brief time of solitude with the boy that had raised him. "Mako, do you-um-do you think Kirima will-um-be here tonight?"

Amber eyes peered at him curiously, black brows rising in curiosity. "Kirima as in Korra's cousin Kirima? That Kirima?"

"That very same one," Bolin answered, nodding. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and his green eyes traced patterns in the marble floor.

A small smile tugged at the edges of Mako's lips knowingly. "Well, Unalaq is supposed to be here. So, I can only assume that the Princess will be here too, along with her brother."

Bolin's face brightened slightly, "You think so?"

"Would I lie?" Mako retorted jokingly.

"Weeeeeelllll," Bolin squinted his eyes thoughtfully, stressing the word longer than necessary.

Chortling, Mako shoved his brother further down the hall. "Shut up, Bo!"

* * *

"Just don't screw up, and you'll be fine. They're not _that_ judging, just a little bit." Korra told her honestly as they gazed out the glass wall of a parlor area, towards the roundabout drive where Satomobiles pulled up to drop off that evenings attendees and be pulled away by valets. The two young girls patiently awaited their escorts and the rest of their group so that they could attend the event down three flights of stairs and several hallways. They had been standing there for a good twenty minutes watching the sun slip away from view so that the lights of the Capital city and Palace were all that really emitted any source of brightness.

Asami scowled at her very pregnant sister figure. Iroh would be coming to fetch her any moment, and her heart pounded so abruptly at the mere thought of meeting his family that evening. "Sure, that helps."

Korra gave her best friend a slightly reproachful look, "Hey, I'm being honest. They're pretty easy-going considering. Sure, they're quirky and haughty, but hey, what upper class family isn't?"

She broke off the moment she reconsidered who exactly it was she was speaking to. Bashfully, the Avatar apologized, "Heh, sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way."

Amusement reflected brightly in the heiress' green eyes and she rested her hand on Korra's shoulder. She smiled her dazzling smile. "Don't worry about it. I know what you meant."

An even pair of footsteps alerted the young women of a new presence, and they turned to see a handsome young man adorned in formal military evening dress. His black trousers were tucked inside his polished, black boots, his bowtie was secured beneath the collar of his pressed button up, and straightened the cuffs of his crimson tailcoat. Asami was not really one to swoon, but she was fairly sure that her jaw nearly slacked at the sight of him. His intense, golden eyes turned soft when he met her green orbs, and like a true gentleman he bowed before her and kissed her fingertips. In turn he bowed to the Avatar in greeting. "Good evening, ladies."

"Awfully formal this evening, aren't we, Birthday Boy?" Korra teased the conventionally proper young gentleman. Though they were all clothed rather ceremoniously, the Avatar had no interest in pretending to have any reservations with her closest friends. Goofily he stuck his tongue out at her, easily indicating that even though he would be on his best behavior for the actual black tie event, he would still be friendly where it mattered.

"Look, Daddy, I'm a plane! Did you see that?" A young child's high-pitched voice announced the arrival of Tenzin and his two sons. The Master airbender sighed as he guided the elder boy by the scruff of his collared jacket in an attempt to keep him focused on their destination. Rohan calmly sat atop his fathers shoulders, arms crossed over the man's bald head, his tuft of black hair fell forwards above his forehead and amused green eyes that strained on his older brother's antics.

"Good evening. Happy birthday, Iroh," Tenzin called as he approached the younger adults, two of which had just barely left their teenage years.

The toddler on his shoulders eagerly waved, and gently glided his way down with his airbending to embrace the young women around the knees. He gave them a toothy grin, and Iroh kneeled to shake his little hand with respect for the polite young man. Meelo, slightly jealous of all the attention fed to his little brother by the grown-ups, showed them all the spinning marble trick that he had mastered that spring.

With the knowledge that Korra would have company and she would not be left alone, Iroh offered Asami his arm. When her strong but delicate hand grasped his, he smiled at the group and excused himself, "I do apologize for not staying any longer, but seeing as this evening's event is technically my birthday party, I do believe my mother is expecting my arrival shortly. And you know how she is, Uncle Tenzin, unnervingly punctual. So if you'll excuse us, Miss Sato and I will be happy to see you later sometime at the party."

When they were out of earshot and sight of anyone, wandering through a westward travelling corridor, Asami paused in her tracks to give him an adoring look. He peered down at her curiously as a thousand thoughts seemed to swirl behind her crystalline emeralds. Butterflies swirled rapidly in her stomach from nerves, and she could practically feel her heart pounding against her ribcage. She must have gone ghostly pale because Iroh cupped her face tenderly, concern etching its way into all of his features. "Asami, are you alright?"

Swallowing, Asami nodded. But, truth be told, she wasn't. She was absolutely horrified. The brave, powerful Asami Sato felt as though she was no stronger than a lop-eared rabbit. Whether Iroh realized it or not, he had broken his way into Asami's most guarded place with his cordialness and sincerity, and had walked straight out with her heart as though it were a given gift. And whether she realized it or not, it _was_ a gift to him, meant to be guarded and cherished to the fullest. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind a lingering doubt tried to convince her otherwise.

Utterly betrayed by the man she had loved most in this world, she had been hurt before by the one person in the world that she had thought capable of always being relied upon. However, her father had not lived up to that duty. Instead, he had left her suspicious, untrusting, and scarred. Besides the three friends that had stood by her through all of it and a select few others, such as Tenzin's family and some of her employees, she had found it nearly impossible to completely trust anyone ever again. Yet, Iroh had scaled that mountain range that had erupted around her heart, and now he resided in the valley where it beat steadily.

She had unintentionally fallen in love with him, and only when she realized it had she purposely fallen further with him. The feelings he stirred in her felt too good to deny, and she longed for them. During the times he was at sea, she yearned for his company and cherished his letters. Asami wished more than almost anything that he would never ever walk away. But, with meeting his family for the first time came the possibility that they would try to sway him from her, and it seemed to her that Iroh was one that took his family's opinions into great consideration.

But, she didn't vocalize those concerns. Not a single one of them. "I just haven't wished you a happy birthday yet."

Her smile was off, but her kiss was more heartfelt than ever before. Sensing the oddness in her movements, Iroh tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist. Holding her closely, he sweetly placed kisses along the back of her cheek before planting his lips against her forehead. "I'm glad you're here to celebrate it with me. I love you more than anything, Asami. And so will my family."

And it was then that she realized that he knew her fears as well as if she had voiced them aloud. And it was in that moment that she realized that she hadn't needed to feel them in the first place. "I love you, too."

But, what she did not realize was that within the next few hours he planned to ask her for the best birthday present he could ever receive.

* * *

"_There's gotta be a million princesses here tonight," Bolin breathed in discouragement as he and his group walked inside the massive banquet hall. His green eyes scanned the crowd for any signs of the Northern Water Tribe beauty. "How am I supposed to find her?"_

"_She's here, bro. Just relax," Mako urged, guiding his pregnant wife by the hand, one arm wrapped around her waist. On her other side Meelo and Rohan offered their support. "At any rate, I'm pretty sure that there's only about seven here."_

"_Oh, so we're counting princesses, are we?" Korra hissed, begrudgingly narrowing her cobalt eyes._

"_No," He sputtered. His face turned red. "That-that's not it. You were the one that told me!"_

_Under her breath she muttered, "I didn't expect you to remember."_

"_Is Mako in trouble?" Rohan whispered lowly, giving Meelo big, ivy eyes._

"_Not yet," The blue-eyed airbender answered under his breath, causing Korra to smirk._

"_How do you know for sure?" The earthbender interrupted._

"_Who do you think told him?" Korra shot out, causing her brother-in-law to nod in realization. "Besides, it isn't like she'll be entertaining their gossip. You know Kirima. She'll probably head over here and ask me about the Spirit World or something like that."_

"_Anyways, Korra needs to get off of her feet, so let's go greet our hosts and sit down," Mako decided. _

"_No, we'll be going to find a restroom," She countered before leading the way towards the Fire Nation royal family. Like an older sister in charge of her youngest siblings, Korra patted the top of Meelo's bald head and said, "Hold your brother's hand for me. There's a lot of people here."_

The conversation replayed in his mind continuously. He had searched the crowd far and wide for Kirima. But, had come to no avail. His heart sunk in his chest with discouragement. Bolin longed to see her, once again cause one of her rare laughs, once more hold her in his arms, and once again feel her lips pressed up against his. Yet, he knew that the odds that she would ever again allow him inside her heart like that were slim to none. He would be lucky to get a decent hello, but he had a rock solid determination to make her love him again, even if that mean starting out with a fight.

How he had fallen so hard for Korra's cousin was beyond him. But, he had been in love with her since the first time he had met her two years ago on their journey to the Northern Water Tribe for Korra's spiritual training. During the premature stages of their interaction, he had found her and her twin brother Desna to be oddly stoic and prophetic. It had given him the creeps initially. Yet, her poetic and sincere form of speech had intrigued him, and over the course of time they had grown close. Though she had rejected his flirtatious advancements at first, though Desna had been suspicious and repulsed by his interest in his sister, and though Korra had teased him relentlessly, he had not given up on his quest to steal her heart. And eventually, he had managed to charm her into accepting a date.

A date had quickly turned into two, and those two quickly turned into four. Those four rapidly morphed into more that included hand holding, and hand holding rapidly increased to stolen kisses. One of his happiest times on this earth had been when he had been together with Kirima. While she made him think on a deeper level, causing him to challenge himself, he had been a source of happiness for her and an opportunity to be carefree. He had been a source of new life in that icy, dead, desert that she had grown up to call home. They had been made for each other, but it had all come to such an abrupt stop that neither of them could catch up to what had happened before they had come to a fiery end. And now, just over a year later, Bolin was more than sure that he would do anything just to convince her to be his once again.

"Oh, hey, Desna," Bolin stuttered unsurely, scratching behind the back of his head when he came face to face with the Northern Water Tribe prince. Just yards from where his brother and sister-in-law sat to rest their feet, his prime destination, he had run straight into one of the few people at the banquet besides Kirima that he was nervous about seeing.

Desna's permanently uninterested blue eyes scanned over the earthbender coolly. Flatly he muttered, "Hello, Bolin."

"H-how are you?" The green-eyed young man questioned awkwardly.

"Fine, thank you. Yourself?" His responses were short and polite, clearly indifferent to the thought of continuing the conversation any longer.

"Great!" He said a bit too quickly, before correcting his automatic response. "Well, as good as I could be for now I guess. My nieces or nephews are almost here, so I'm super stoked about that!"

"Ah, yes," The young Water Tribe man gave him a rather reproachful look despite his emotionless voice. "It seems that you and I are going to be sharing a pair of biological family members."

Bolin laughed uncomfortably. His face turned slightly red and he squinted in embarrassment. He knew fully well that Desna was not his biggest fan, but he could not hold that against him. Truthfully, Bolin felt as though the waterbender had every right to dislike him. "Yeah-ha-I guess we will, huh? Well, speaking of said family members, I need to go have a word with their parents."

The earthbender quickly excused himself from beneath Desna's accusatory ocean-colored eyes. Sighing in relief as the other young man left with only a goodbye, Bolin turned on his heel. Unfortunately, he turned directly into another human being. A short, female with black hair, light olive skin, and deep blue eyes. Her routinely impassive expression turned slightly surprised, but immediately lost all traces of bewilderment. In turn, Bolin grinned sheepishly at her, cheeks red, "I'm so sorry, Kirima! I didn't mean to-I mean I didn't-I didn't expect to bump into anyone. My bad."

Her voice was even more blasé than her brothers, and Bolin felt a stab of hurt. To him, lack of concern was far worse than anger, and she apparently knew it. "It's alright. I know you weren't intending to. Are you heading back to Korra and Mako?"

"Yeah-uh-yes, I was," He stuttered nervously. The earthbender shot his eyes to where his family sat at a round table, entertaining Ikki and Jinora with Pema. Suddenly, he wondered if Aiko, Meelo, and Rohan were under supervision. But his question was soon answered as he witnessed Lin Beifong and Tenzin, dragging their respective children by the scruffs of their collars towards an exit for what could only be a good talking to. "Have you seen her yet?"

Kirima glanced over her shoulder, back a the happy couple an their company. A slight smile spread across her lips, and Bolin beamed. He recalled quite easily how even though Korra and her twin cousins would fight and get on each other's nerves with merciless gusto, they loved one another whole heartedly. "No, not yet. Desna told me that she was looking for me. I was just on my to go see her just now. I've missed her. I knew she was expecting sometime in July, but I didn't presume she'd be so far along. She's dropped."

"What do you mean?" Bolin asked quizzically, tossing his laughing sister-in-law one more look over the waterbender's shoulder.

"I mean," The Water Tribe princess said pointedly, a bit more feeling in her voice now as they spoke of her cousin. "She's carrying them lower in her pelvic region than I would have imagined. When I saw her walk, she had a sort of pregnancy waddle which leads me to believe that she's under the impression that they're just going to fall out of her anytime now."

Bolin chuckled, "I didn't know you knew so much about pregnant women."

"I've sat in on a few extra healing sessions." She glanced away slightly, and he knew that it was out of dejection. "I've had a bit of spare time the last year or so."

A lump caught in Bolin's throat, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and tell her that he wished they could have spent that spare time together. But he didn't. Instead she continued boredly. "Well, knowing you, you'll probably grow tired just sitting over there with them sooner rather than later. So, the single girls at this party have all accumulated over there. Princess Avani from the Earth Kingdom is in the center, and according to the unfiltered amount of hearsay that pours from the hole in her face, General Iroh is planning something special for the Sato girl. She's looking for someone to dance with. Lau Gan-Lan's son rejected her advances I think which surprised me. Those two snobs are perfect for one another. She'll fall right for you. Anyways, I'm going to greet my cousin and be out of your hair."

"No, Kirima," He nearly shouted at once. The earthbender reached out and grasped her wrist, spinning her back towards him before she could saunter away from his life altogether. Her dark blue eyes stared at him curiously, and he noticed a slight amount of color rush to her cheeks. Whether it was anger or embarrassment, he wasn't sure, but knowing he had caused her to _feel_ something was satisfying enough. Expectantly, her eyebrows rose beneath her heavy bangs, but he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't choke now. He was _the _Bolin. He never had a shortage of what he could say. But, alas he did, and he knew that she was the one that made him that way. "I-uh-I'm-um-I'm…glad I got to see you."

Her eyes glanced down at her feet, and he was almost sure he saw a blush creep up her cheeks. Gently, she slid her wrist out from his grasp and turned away from him. Before she left though, she looked back over her shoulder. "Yeah, me too."

As her figure departed in the direction of her cousin, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

* * *

"You were right about Suzume, she's hysterical. She's relentless with Iroh, but you were also right about her being so blunt. A little embarrassing actually. But, I like her, the rest of his family too. They're great. Is everything all right in there, Korra? You've been in there awhile, and I still need to get in there." Asami directed to the girl behind the door of the private ladies powder room that she leaned up against. They were both thankful that this powder room was designated for the use of the royal family and their personal guests. There was no line, and no eavesdroppers like in the powder room for the general attendees for that evening's event.

"Yeah, yeah," Korra called. "How about your dance with Zuko? He's a sweet little old man, huh?"

"It was a lot of fun actually. He told me stories about Iroh as a kid, even one about you. You've always been a magnet for trouble, huh?"

"He helped me out nine times out of ten." Korra shot back.

"Asami, is Korra still in there? I have to use the bathroom." A high-pitched voice announced.

"Hi, Ikki," Korra greeted the child that was very much like her little sister. "I'm almost done. Give me a minute. I'm pregnant and I have to pee."

Asami chuckled and another voice debated, "That's not very lady-like, Korra."

"Tell me that someday when you have a baby or two taking a nap on your bladder, Jinora," The Avatar wittily rebutted.

"Technically it's not the baby that's resting against your bladder. It's the pressure that your uteru-."

"That's enough, dear. Leave Korra alone," An elderly voice instructed, covering the twelve-year-old's mouth. Katara glanced at Asami with humorous smile as Ikki asked what a '_You-Tera' _was exactly. The elderly waterbending master told them, "We weren't intending to interrupt any conversation that you two were having."

"Oh, it's fine, Master Katara. We weren't really having a private talk," Asami reassured her.

"No, but I _was _trying to have a private moment in here," The Avatar muttered just loud enough for them all to hear.

Katara chuckled and averted her attention back to Asami and her two granddaughters. Gently, she stroked the shoulder length hair that Jinora had regrown since her airbending test. "I believe Iroh has something for you."

"What's that?" Asami asked, intrigued. She wasn't particularly big on Iroh buying her gifts when she could have easily purchased anything she wanted, especially when it was his birthday and not hers.

"I don't know, dear. He wouldn't say. In fact, it was Zuko that said his grandson had a surprise for you," She told her.

"Ooo, maybe it's a dragon, or a unicorn, or he's taking you around the world! Ormaybe he's going to ask you to become his princess," Ikki chattered excitedly as Asami's eyes grew wide. The little airbender for one had always been fascinated by the Heiress' and the General's romance.

Jinora nodded. There was awe in her voice just as there had been in her baby sister's, "That could be what it is. Afterall, he loves you so much. Maybe he's going to propose to you tonight. Oh, I wonder how he's going to do it? Maybe he's going to give you a bouquet of Panda Lilies in the garden and have fireworks going off in the sky while music plays."

"You only think that because that's how you want Skoochy to propose to you," Ikki jot out, all the while Asami's mind swimming. As Jinora's face turned cherry red, Ikki continued to blabber, "My bet is that he'll fly off with her on a-."

"What!? I do not want Skoochy to ask me to marry him!" Jinora shouted indignantly.

"You do too!" Ikki teased.

"Do not!"

"Yes, you do! I read your journal!"

"You did what?" Fury mixed with horror in Jinora's expression.

"I. Read. Your. Journal. The one last week was really interesting," Ikki declared, smugly putting a gap between each word in the statement. She cleared her throat and mimicked her elder sister's voice in a perfect, dreamy manner. _"'Dear Journal, today Skoochy came over for another reading lesson. I'm really glad Aiko convinced him to ask me to help him out. I mean at first I wasn't because he can just be so infuriating at times. But, now after spending so many hours and days with him, I've realized just how sweet and sincere he really is. He's opened up to me about so much: life on the streets, how he lost his parents, how he's had to struggle, how he's run away from orphanages how he's jealous that Aiko found a home. I felt so sorry for him. I just had to give him a hug. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to ask Mom and Daddy to offer him a place to live. I can't stand to watch him come to the Island, and leave back to the streets every day. He needs a permanent home. And honestly, there's a part of me that really hopes that one day he'll want that home with me. That maybe one day he'll ask me to marry him, and we can have a home together where we'll be able to raise our kids ourselves instead of having them grow up on the streets like he had to. So, I offered to ask Mom and Dad when we went for a walk around the Island, and do you know what he did? He kissed me. Right on the mouth. I was a little surprised when he told me to not go to the trouble. But, can you believe it? He kissed me.'"_

"You are so dead!" Jinora declared with clenched teeth, raising her fists.

"Bring it, future Mrs. Skoochy," Ikki taunted.

Their grandmother rolled her light blue eyes and put her hands between the two quarrelling sisters. "That's quite enough girls."

When Ikki made a move to lunge towards a glowering Jinora, Katara shot her a terrifying glare that humbled her into obedience. "Ikki, you shouldn't read your sister's journal. That's meant to be private."

"But, all of her books are boring," The nine-year old pouted.

"So you read my journal!" Jinora screeched.

"Oh!" A sudden gasp alerted all of them and they turned towards the powder room where the door was still closed, Korra behind it.

"Korra, are you okay?" Jinora asked, full of concern suddenly.

The door cracked open to reveal the beautiful twenty-year-old Avatar. She breathed in deeply and shut her eyes briefly, a method of calming that she had picked up from Tenzin. When she opened them, they were anxious in spite of her steady voice. "My water broke."

* * *

**Jinoochy, yeah I ship it. Hardcore! I can't be the only one! And yes, I jumped on the bandwagon with calling Korra's cousin Kirima. Blast it, I wish I knew her actual name! I'm more than positive she and Bolin are going to end up together. Who else agrees? And oh what surprise could Iroh have for the lovely Miss Sato? And Korra's water did what!? SO who's excited for the next chapter? I hope you guys are! Please review with any comments, concerns, or questions! Thanks! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**Happy Thanksgiving everybody! :D **

**Here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I hope you like it! Please review!**

* * *

Sleepily, his eyes drooped. Reality began to swirl in the warmth and comfort of dream world, but he jolted back into the waking world when an impolite snore erupted from a figure with a furry animal curled up in his lap, slumped in a chair across from him. He shot a glare at the young man sleeping uproariously, and nearly had the nerve to stalk over to him and slap him upside the face for the disruption. But, then he felt the numbness of his dead upper arm and remembered that he was currently being used as a pillow. Her back was propped up and he had decided to take a seat beside her so that she could lean against him, his left foot still on the floor so that he hardly took up any space on the mattress. She just looked so precious with her head tucked into his shoulder that he could hardly stand that his brother could have nearly woken her up.

Irritated with the earthbender's motor-like noises, Mako glanced around for options. Satisfied with a pen on a nightstand that was just barely within his reach, the firebender chucked it at his little brother. The young man let out a startled snort when it collided with his face, and his green eyes flickered open abruptly, adjusting to the very dimly lit room. They became curious when they found his elder brother's wicked amber eyes. He jerked his head towards his sleeping wife and breathed forcefully, "Shut up, Bolin."

"Sorry," Bolin muttered sheepishly, noting the dark circles rimmed underneath Mako's eyes. He glanced towards the draped windows where no natural sunlight escaped, and he realized that it still must have been very late as he noticed two other dark-haired figures snoozing soundlessly in chairs adjacent to him. Asami's head rested against her beloved's shoulder with Iroh's head on top of hers. Almost silently, he mouthed to his brother, "What time is it?"

"Just after two-thrity," Mako whispered, less enraged now. He knew that Bolin had not meant to cause any noise, and he was actually even a little glad that the racket had kept him conscious.

Bolin quirked an eyebrow in wonder, "Why are you still awake?"

"Can't sleep. I don't _want _to sleep. Just in case," Mako murmured with a shake of the head. Despite his best efforts a yawn escaped his lips, and Bolin mimicked the action reflexively. He smirked at him before placing a long kiss on top of his wife's forehead. His breath blew a strand of her mocha hair back and forth, and he gingerly pushed it into its proper place before setting his lips back against her head. Despite the tingling sensation in his arm, lulling warmth was beginning to creep up in him as she leaned against him sound asleep.

Bolin must have caught the way Mako's amber eyes glazed over with drowsiness because he stood and stretched his arms high above his head. He tip toed towards his brother and leaned over to whisper at his eye level. "Hey, how about I look after her and you get some shut eye? You'll need it."

At first Mako gazed at his baby brother skeptically, but the earthbender was persistent. "If anything changes I'll wake you up right away."

"How do I know you won't fall asleep on me?" The firebending father-to-be inquired with doubt.

"_Because, _Bro. This is my family too that we're talkin' about. Of course I'll be up to take care of them." He gave his brother a reassuring grin. "When was the last time they came in to check on her, and when will they be back?"

Mako grinned, drearily impressed as he racked his brain to recall the sequence of that evening's events. Korra's water had broken around eight-thirty that previous night, and he had nearly lost his head when she told him so calmly. Katara had needed to reassure him that just because of the circumstances, it did not mean that the babies were on their way right that moment. But, Mako had been terrified and had rounded up the palace's servants and healers to assist them without trying to make a scene. Of course several party guests had stared curiously, interested in the Avatar's current position. When they were in the privacy of a room specially designated for this occasion inside the palace, the healers and Katara had informed them that Korra was most likely only in the earliest stages of labor. Her contractions had been only twenty minutes apart and she had not even dilated a full three centimeters, when the necessary to begin active labor was four, and to begin pushing was ten.

Korra had shot daggers at him with her cool blue gaze, and had stated that she simply could have gone for a walk and taken a bath first before she had been whisked away immediately. After much persistence from her, Mako had taken his bride for a stroll down the corridor, constantly requesting that she not push herself. A contraction had struck then and she had told him what she really would have liked to push at that moment. Yet, he had brushed it off and had even laughed, giving her a kiss and telling her she was beautiful. When she gave him a disbelieving look he had insisted that he meant it. Subsequently, he had helped her take a shower in the homey bathroom attached to the lovely suite where she would give birth to their children. Even after two hours Korra had barely made any progress. Somewhere along the way they had sent word out to her parents in the South Pole. It was only after Katara had suggested that the mother-to-be get some rest that Tenzin's, Beifong's, and a few members of Iroh's family, along with her uncle and cousins, departed. And alas it had finally gotten quiet.

Even still, Korra had been restless. She tossed and turned when her contractions, which were still rather far apart, came like a wave. Asami, Iroh, and Bolin had nodded off almost right away as she thrashed uncomfortably. In an attempt to provide her some solace, Mako had nuzzled her against him and she shoved her face right into the crook of his arm. Every hour a healer came in to check her dilation, and would rouse the girl that had just managed to slip into some sort of slumber. Mako answered, "Just a little while ago. She fell right back asleep after her last contraction. They're only about five minutes apart now, so I'm surprised she isn't awake. She's says they aren't that bad right now, but I don't believe her. The healer shouldn't be back for a little while, but she said that Korra was getting really close to six centimeters. When she hits eight they're going to go get Katara."

"All right, bro," Bolin said, ruffling his tired brother's hair. "You can count on me. Good night."

* * *

"Ouch," He mumbled subconsciously. The stabbing pain in his left side grew deeper as his senses slowly flooded back to him. His amber eyes fluttered open when he heard it. He knew all of her sounds like the back of his hand, and he knew more than anything that he hated this one. Some of the little moans and groans and whimpers she could make made him absolutely delighted, but not this one. This one signaled pain.

He drew her in as his eyes refocused. Her head continuously burrowed deeper into his chest, she had drawn her knees up to relieve the pressure on her back, and her arm was draped across his torso. The young woman's blue eyes were shut tightly and her nails dug deeply into his side as she cringed. Gently, Mako moved so that he could hold her in a position where he could rub her back and place soothing kisses against her temple. As he held her, he felt the tension slowly roll out of her, and she sighed. Concerned, he questioned calmly, "How long was that one?"

"Bout a minute," She muttered tiredly into his shirt.

"When was your last before that?" He questioned.

Though she eyed him with a bit of crossness, she answered, "Maybe two minutes ago."

"What?" His eyes grew a bit wide, and worry entered his voice with the knowledge that her labor pains were maybe only a minute apart, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Well, excuse me for not thinking about awakening you during one of my contractions. It must have slipped my mind, but I have no idea why. It's not like they hurt or anything," She bit back as her body began to tense once again. Her small frame seemed to turn completely unyielding in his grasp as the painful spasms coursed through her body. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Korra," He breathed with uncertainty against her cheek, letting her words roll off of him. Lightly, he placed kisses behind her jaw and rubbed the back of her neck as she doubled forwards in pain. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Asami stirring with the noise the woman in labor was making.

Once again, the Avatar inhaled deeply. She leaned back against the propped up pillows as she steadied her breath. Her eyes turned soft when she looked back at her husband. He savored the sweetness she offered him as she rubbed his cheek with her thumb, well aware that it would not last for very long. "Sorry, that was a big one. You looked tired, and I didn't want to have to wake you up if I didn't need to. You couldn't have been asleep more than twenty minutes. Besides, I had Bolin if I needed anything."

Mako glanced up to the chair that his brother was supposed to have been occupying, only to find an empty space. His facial expression turned dark and he stood up, "Where is Bo?"

"Getting a healer. He doesn't think my contractions should be so close together just yet."

"Should they be?" A new voice asked out of concern and curiosity.

But, Korra didn't get an opportunity to answer Asami's question as another contraction tore through her. Mako's heart dropped as he watched her roll back and forth in pain. The feeling he had nearly made him sick. He just perceived himself to be so helpless, so useless in aiding her. More than any other time in this world, he hated himself. He had caused her this pain, and now he wasn't capable of making it go away. He was supposed to keep her out of harms way at all costs, and now this was entirely his fault. Her forearm was looped around his as she squeezed the life out of his hand. The tremors subsiding, he stroked her hair and choked out, "I'm so sorry, Korra."

"Shut your mouth, Hotshot." Her blue eyes closed as she yanked him down to her by his scarf so that his lips meshed against hers. She poured passion into it, just like she did into everything, and he, all of his sincerity that he bottled up so deeply inside of himself. Korra's fist had wrapped tightly around the piece of clothing so that he had no choice but to bend over to her eye level. The fiery Avatar placed smaller kisses against his soft lips as their foreheads pushed together. When she pulled back slightly, she whispered, "It was _our _idea."

Mako beamed at her, but grimaced with Asami's under the breath comment to her now awake boyfriend, "How much longer do you think she'll agree that she ever said that?"

"Not much!" Korra screeched as another contraction racked her body.

At that very same moment Bolin returned with two healers and Master Katara. He smiled congenially at all of the alert faces in the cozy room that his sister-in-law would deliver in, and turned on the extra lights. Katara headed straight towards her former student writhing on the bed. Her expression was full of pity and concern as she placed a damp cloth that she had been holding against Korra's forehead. Gently, and in her grandmotherly manner, she brushed Korra's sweat drenched bangs from her eyes. Sweetly, she kissed the panting girl's nose. "You, my little waterbender, have gusto. You're going to be just fine. Now, let me see how dilated you are, so I can give you an estimate of just how much longer."

"Ew," Bolin griped with a disgusted face, making sure he was out of range of catching a very unwanted glimpse as Katara checked beneath the young woman's gown. Mako and Korra glared at his childlike behavior, but Iroh and Asami offered no opinion on the subject whatsoever.

Katara looked up over Korra's garment and said calmly, "Well, whether or not he finds it gross, it's a good thing Bolin came and got me. You're just under nine centimeters."

The next hour and a half followed a similar pattern to this. The sky outside was still pitch black with the early morning absence of the sun. Every minute or two, a new contraction would pulse through Korra and she would do her best not to show the hurt though Mako new it almost as if it were his own pain. During that long moment, she would grasp the nearest thing she possibly could and choke it to death. Once it had been Bolin's ring finger, and he had insisted that she had broken it. Another time it had accidentally been Pabu's tail, leaving a very offended fire ferret. Every five minutes, Katara peered down to see just how much further she had gotten. Iroh had given her a calming glass of jasmine tea that she sipped every few minutes or so. Asami would brush her hair or rub her shoulder. And Mako would hold her tightly when she needed it, kiss her all over for reassurance, and let her squeeze his hand until his fingers turned black and blue.

"You're doing great, Korra," He breathed encouragingly as she panted against the pillows, her voluptuous chest heaving up and down as the contraction subsided. They both knew it wouldn't be very long before the next one came. Each one was growing larger and much more forceful. Tenderly, he pushed the bangs from her eyes, and returned the cool, damp cloth to her forehead.

"This sucks," She harrumphed.

In response he chuckled and placed another kiss to her temple. "I can see that. But, as soon as you're done I'll buy you papayas and a gigantic bag of sizzle crisps."

"Great," She muttered grumpily. "Now I'm hungry."

"Hopefully not for long," Katara told her as she walked back inside with four healers, all in gloves and proper delivery attire. They had already set everything necessary for the birth in the surrounding vicinity, and all that was left now to be ready to go was Korra. Just like the numerous times before, the waterbending master bent down to check on her student's dilation. Only this time she had a slightly different reaction. With a smile, she announced, "Well, congratulations, Korra. You're ready to start pushing."

Immediately Korra's blue eyes widened. She had wanted more than anything for this pain to be over, but she knew that it was only due to become far more severe during the following stage. It wasn't so much that she feared the pain, but in reality her body was sore and tired and she had never had a person come out of her before. Mako caught her expression and squeezed her hand gently. His expression was sweet and he whispered, "Almost done, see. Just a little while longer."

"Korra, dear, I want you to coast out your next contraction. Take a few minutes to rest. You're going to get the urge to push, but try to settle it." Katara instructed as she and the healers further prepared for Korra's delivery. They propped her up on the bed so that she was almost in a sitting position, and before settling the Avatar's legs in a proper position to brace herself, Katara addressed the girl's four supporters, "All right you three, out. Mako's the only one that has permission to be here. You can wait in the hallway."

None of them protested, well aware that they would only be in the way. As they exited Iroh patted Korra's shoulder and shook Mako's hand to wish him luck. Asami gave each of them a quick hug of reassurance before following Iroh out the door. Bolin lingered momentarily, smiling at his brother and sister-in-law. He stepped forward and placed a loving kiss to the top of the Water Tribe girl's forehead before giving his big brother a gigantic hug that Mako returned wholeheartedly. "See you guys when you're parents."

The very first time Katara ordered Korra to push, the small but strong girl on the bed gave it her all. Her face turned red, and she shouted in pain and effort. Gently, Mako rubbed her shoulder and reminded her, "Breathe, Korra. Don't hold your breath, sweetheart."

She gasped in a mouthful or air, filling her lungs with her airbending. Her contractions had extended in intervals, but now they lasted a full ninety seconds. And even after they ceased, her body quaked and she had a hard time catching her breath. Korra had experienced absolute agony before, but Mako had never seen her suffer from something so raw and powerful before. Not like this. He swallowed repeatedly, trying to rid himself of the nerves and guilt overcoming him. The firebender refused to let his wife see it though. Instead, he held her hand tightly as she screamed forcefully on the bed, his other arm wrapped around her so that he could wipe the sweat from her eyes and the bangs from her forehead while he guided her in breathing.

During her individual contractions, she could no longer speak. The only sound emitted from her throughout those awful moments were shrill cries of torture. After them she sent him glowers so dangerous and evil that they could have broken mirrors, or turned a poor soul to stone. "This is your fault!"

His hand was sore, quite possibly sprained, but he let her yank on it regardless. On a normal occasion, he would have lost his temper with her vengeful and accusing statements, but he knew that she said these things out of anger, pain, and fear. Tonraq had made it all quite clear to him during one of their more recent visits.

_The middle-aged Water Tribe man had taken his son-in-law and his daughters polar bear dog on a walk through the park, and had sat down on the grass by the turtle duck pond to have a chat man-to-man. Kindly, the large gentleman looked at the firebending boy tossing bread crumbs to the new turtle ducklings. "Are you excited?"_

_Mako had not torn his gaze away from the water, he simply watched on as the father of the ducklings stared back at him suspiciously, challengingly. Honestly he had responded, "Nervous."_

_Tonraq had chuckled, "I suppose that's only natural. I was terrified when it was time for Korra to come into the world. It meant that I had to implement everything I knew and turn them into lessons to teach her. I was afraid I was going to forget about changing her, or making sure she was fed, or keeping her healthy, or putting her to sleep on time. But, as soon as I held her for the very first time-stubborn and crying, making an absolute scene like she always has-I knew that everything was going to be okay."_

"_How did you deal with holding her for the first time?" The firebender had asked somewhat uncertainly as he pondered over a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind for awhile. "What was Senna like during that time? During labor I mean...How-how did you deal with her hurting like that?"_

"_It was nerve wracking," The big mand had answered honestly with a chuckle. "I mean Korra was so small. I thought I was going to break her. But, honestly, babies are much tougher than they look. And as for Senna, well, Senna was terrible. She screamed and yelled and cursed me to high hell. And let me tell you, Korra is bound to be the same exact way. She'll threaten you, call you countless names, use slanders against you. But, just know that no matter how much she thinks she means it at the time, she doesn't. She'll want you there the entire time. All your job will be is to sit there, hold her hand, let her know when to breathe, and tell her she's doing amazing and that you love her. Encourage her, because that's exactly what she wants, no matter how angry she gets. It'll be hard to have to sit there and watch her in that type of pain, but it's something that you'll work through together, because at the end of it you'll get the greatest prize you could ever imagine. A baby, well, two in your case. And they'll be all yours, entirely, one hundred and ten percent yours. And you won't want to let anything bad ever happen to them. Because you'll realize that you made that, and nothing can change how amazing that really is. It's an instant love. I hope I'll be able to be there to help guide you through it, kid. It'll be quite an incredible experience, a terrifying one, but you won't want to trade it away for the world." _

_With a slight smile, Mako had glanced at his father-in-law. He had no real father to ask for advice any longer, he had no one to look to for advice. So, swallowing his uncertainty, he had asked the next best person. "Sir, do you think I'll be a good father?"_

_The blue-eyed man had smiled at him then, and warmly put a hand on his shoulder. "Son, I think you'll be an amazing father."_

"I know. I know. I'm sorry," He whispered insistently, pushing kisses to her temple.

"No you're not! But you will be," She threatened darkly, glaring at him as though her eyes could stab him.

"You're almost there," He reassured as Katara instructed her to push once more. "Just a little more."

She screamed again, and when it finally passed after what seemed like ages she hissed, "There're two in there, you dickweed! They could be hours apart."

He had to bite his tongue from laughing. Over the past twenty minutes Korra's nicknames had gotten very colorful and creative, some of which had included, but were not limited to, _'Captain Horndog, Thinks-With-Penis, Lily-Livered-Ass-Wipe, and Mr. Responsible.'_

"I know it hurts, Korra," He insisted as he kissed her temple. "But, just think, in a few minutes we'll be parents."

"Korra," Katara called as she waved over one of the healers, distracting the soon-to-be-mother for the briefest of moments. "Next contraction, I want you to give a big push."

"Why not a normal one?" Korra panted sarcastically before another contraction ripped through her body. She cried out in pain and squeezed Mako's hand as her body tensed once again.

"Push, Korra. Push, push, push." He encouraged, kissing her cheek. She shook her head as her figure naturally pushed for her whether she intended for it to or not. Tears escaped her eyelids as the awful wave consumed her. "You can do this. You're so strong, Korra. So strong. You're almost there."

"No," She breathed as it settled. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Her husband insisted.

"No, I cant," She cried. "I…I want my mom."

"Shh, shh, shh," Mako cooed as he wiped the hair from her face. Nothing could defeat Korra, and he was going to help her the whole way through, make sure of it. "You're mom will be here in the morning. I promise, sweetheart. But, right now you need to push. You can do this. You're the strongest person I've ever known. I'm right here, and I'll help you through it, okay? When it hurts most, you just squeeze the crap out of my hand, all right? It's going to be just fine. You've made it so far. You _can_ finish this. Just look at me, Korra. I'm gonna be right here the whole time."

Tiredly, tears streaming down her cheeks, she nodded. "Okay."

Lovingly, Mako pushed his lips against her jaw, stroking her long, drenched hair out of her tan face. Her break was short lived however as she tensed with labor pains once more. Her entire body felt as though it were set on fire as coarse claws attempted to shred her apartm and thousands of hammers racked against her backside. It was exhausting and terrifying all at once, and her screams reverberated throughout the Fire Nation palace, quite possibly waking everyone in the surrounding vicinity. And one of those individuals was awakened for the first time in the outside world.

Mako's jaw slacked as his attention was quickly stolen from his panting wife. Korra's cries had ceased, but a new, soft-voiced set of mewls had erupted from the miniature figure being wiped off and swathed in blankets by healers. The infant's eyes were shut tight to avoid having to look upon the brightness of the lamp-lit room, and tiny fists flailed in discomfort from the unexpected cool air outside its mother's womb. His focus only returned to his bride so that he could beam at her in absolute joy. He placed pecks all over her face before excitedly chattering, "It's a boy, Korra."

She smiled happily at him, giving his hand a squeeze and leaning her head against his shoulder to catch her breath. Briefly she eyed the healer that put a small band around her son's wrist to designate him as baby number one. Pride and love and happiness swirled up inside of her, and in that moment she realized that baby number two was right behind him. Determined to keep stride, she gritted her teeth and braced herself for the next horrible tremor that would pulse through her body. "Job's not over yet."

As soon as she felt it coming, the young girl shoved with all her might, and just a minute later Katara held the results tenderly in her arms. Baby number two shrieked more furiously than the newborn's brother before as another healer fetched the infant. The little old woman smiled up at them proudly, "Congratulations. You have two very healthy baby boys."

At that moment, baby number one was placed into his mother's arms for the very first time. He fidgeted, still upset by the rude awakening, but as Korra rubbed his tiny, soft hand in a smooth, circular motion with her thumb, his bleats turned to small whimpers. Sweetly, she placed a kiss to the top of his forehead, absorbing the feel and warm scent of her precious baby. Neither parent was sure entirely as to which child to stare at in awe. Both flicked their gaze constantly between their first born that Korra held snugly, or their second that was being wrapped in a blanket by a healer. With a steady eye on his slightly younger son, Mako leaned over to do the same as Korra had and placed a kiss to the top of his elder son's forehead.

He was somewhat surprised, however, when Katara placed the newer sniveling infant into his arms. His eyes grew wide with concern when he felt her begin to take her own arms away from his son to leave him completely helpless. Mako didn't know how to hold a newborn. Sure, he had held Rohan, but it had taken over two months after the little airbender's birth for the firebender to actually even consider it. And, now cradling someone so powerless and dependent terrified him. His voice cracked as he insisted, "I'm going to break him."

As the healers shuffled out, the elderly waterbending master shook her head. "Don't worry, dear. You're holding him perfectly. Just make sure you continue to support his head. I'll be back in a little while. You two take some time to get to know them. I'll let everyone outside know that everything went smoothly, and tell them not to disturb you for now. You need some time to yourselves, but if you need something don't hesitate to call for me."

When Master Katara opened the door to leave, Mako could hear Bolin's snores resonating from the hallway, but they quickly disappeared as it clicked shut behind her. Carefully supporting his son as though he were glass, Mako moved to sit on the edge of Korra's bed. Gently, Korra leaned against tired, drained, and content. She smiled at him sleepily. Her cobalt eyes were ringed by dark circles, her color had drained, and her mocha hair was in disarray, but to him she appeared absolutely radiant. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_," He declared pointedly. "You were incredible."

Her sparkling eyes sincere, she glanced between her two baby boys. "I think they were worth it."

For the very first time Mako truly got to _see_ his sons. Up close, and side-to-side. And they were beautifully perfect. He swallowed to clear the lump that had formed in his throat, but found that he was incapable of it. When he attempted to once more, tears blurred his vision and he did something that he had not truly done in years. He wept. Not in any covert sort of manner, but outright and blatantly. Yet, they were not droplets of remorse, they were drops of joy. Liquid trails streaming down his cheeks, he nuzzled his second born closer to himself and kissed his forehead. "They're remarkable."

As they leaned back against the stacked up pillows on Korra's bed, the young mother tilted her head against her husband's shoulder. "We have to name them."

"Anything come to mind?" He whispered as his wife reached across their first born to stroke her second son's smooth cheek.

Both infants had stopped crying by this time, but every once in awhile one would become finicky and snivel. They had just only been brave enough to open their eyes in the now much dimmer room, and both revealed spectacular blue irises of their own shapes and colors. Their oldest son, the one in Korra's arms had eyes that seemed to swirl like the deepest depths of the sea with a wonderful blend of dark turquoise and steel. While the younger, the one in Mako's arms had eyes as penetrating and bright as the celestial dome above this Earth. Though it was obvious that they were very closely related, the twins were not identical in the slightest. Perhaps one of the most notable similarities that they had was their creamy complexion that they had both inherited from their father.

"Kaito." She answered, gazing at her eldest decisively. Mako smiled at her through his tears. It had been a name that they had both fallen in love with, and it suited the little one very much. Afterall, his dark aquamarine eyes surged with the same wisdom and mystery of the abyss-like tranches of the fathomless oceans. "I liked that name."

The firebender smiled down at the cooing baby in his wife's hold. With tenderness, Mako ran his thumb over the infant's nose-his nose-and through the black tuft of hair atop his head. The child yawned sleepily, as if content with the name his parents had given him, causing his father to chuckle. "Kaito it is then. Now what about you? Who are you going to be?"

Pale blue eyes searched the vicinity for his father's voice. This child definitely belonged to Korra. His facial structure was almost entirely her, and his hair was perhaps only a few shades lighter than her own mocha brown. Looking at him, Mako could not help but wonder if he would one day be as mischievous and headstrong as she. If he would be just as selfless and noble as she, or as the organization that had protected her for years: The White Lotus. Mako threw Korra a sidelong glance as his tears began to dissipate. "I think I have it."

"Let's hear it then, Hotshot," She demanded.

"Ren."

Korra pursed her lips thoughtfully, gazing at her younger son who fought to keep his eyes open for just a few seconds longer. "He certainly looks like a Ren."

"What do you think?" Mako asked the russet-haired, milky complexioned infant that had trouble staying conscious much longer. Like his brother, the baby yawned as though what his parents had suggested was satisfying enough.

The new parents sniggered as he immediately drifted off to sleep, and his mother whispered, "I think Ren has the right idea."

"Ren then?" Her firebender asked, pleased.

"Ren," His waterbender confirmed, bobbing her head up and down in affirmation as they switched babies. "Kaito and Ren. Our boys."

* * *

"Thank goodness! Not another girl!"

"They're sooooooo cute!"

"Are they going to like me?"

"Can I hold one, Korra? Please?"

A flurry of excited children's hushed voices circulated around the room as soon as the four little airbenders laid eyes on the two sleeping infants held snuggly in their parents' arms. The family had just been permitted entrance into the room by Katara and the other healers. So far that morning, they were the last to visit. Bolin, Asami, and Iroh had been first. And much like his brother before him, Bolin had shed tears at the sight of his two wonderful nephews.

_Bolin's green eyes had grown full of love the moment he had laid eyes on them nearly an hour and a half after their birth. Tucked against the crook in Korra's shoulder was a sleeping infant with a crest of dark brown hair that was tinged orangey-red in the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains. And in Mako's hold was another snoozing away with thick locks of hair so raven black that they would be indistinguishable against a starless midnight sky. Neither had really looked away from the tiny bundles when their visitors had arrived, merely smiling in recognition and returning their visual attention to their sons. The earthbender had kneeled opposite of where his brother stood, and leveled himself with his sister-in-law. _

_He smiled and gently reached out to pat the downy-like, ivory skin of the infant as he wiped a tear away from his eye. Behind him, Asami had gushed, "They're beautiful you guys."_

"_They're amazing, aren't they?" The new uncle responded at once. He looked up at his brother proudly, and right then, Bolin was reminded so much of his own father-proud, protective, loving, nurturing. As Mako greatly resembled their mother, it was the time that Bolin had noticed him seem so much like the man that had loved them with all of his heart and soul. Bolin swallowed and glanced back at Korra, "Who's this?"_

"_This is Ren." None of the newcomers had ever heard Korra's voice so tender and serene. But, with the way she gazed upon her sons, it was more than obvious why. In her cobalt eyes was a type of devotion that was so foreign and yet so familiar to all of them. It was a stare that they had each been given as children. A look from the one person that would and could love them unconditionally- their mother._

"_And this is Kaito," Mako added, proudly introducing the tot he held. A similar expression to Korra's swirled warmly in his amber eyes._

"_Who's older?" Iroh asked curiously._

"_Kaito," The new father answered. "But Ren was right on his heels."_

"_Do you want to hold him, Bo?" Korra asked affectionately, her stare boring into his green eyes so full of awe. Bolin glanced at her unsurely, but like with everything else, Korra had confidence. Eagerly, she motioned for him to mimic the way she had molded her hold into a cradle, properly demonstrated to him how to support the babe's head, and the next thing he knew, his younger nephew was supported entirely in his grasp._

_Surprise enveloped him, and he braced himself, positive that Ren would slip through his fingers like water. He had been quite eager to hold Rohan as an infant, yet something al But when the little boy subconsciously yawned, rolling his head back and squinting bright blue eyes for the briefest of moments, all his worries were washed away by a new confidence in himself to protect. Without moving his gaze away from his now much more comfortable nephew, Bolin asked, "Does Kaito have blue eyes, too?"_

_Mako nodded, "Darker and a bit more greenish."_

"_May I?" Asami asked hopefully, extending her arms out to the new father._

"_Of course," The firebender whispered before carefully passing his eldest to his friend._

_Asami smiled down broadly at the little one, as Iroh looped an arm around her back to peer at him. She could feel the curiosity radiating off of him, but she knew that he would not vocalize his interest immediately. Instead, he reached out just as she had suspected him to. His thumb gently rubbed Kaito's rosy cheek, so bright against the rest of the infants snowy complexion. It was nearly impossible for Asami to rid herself of the grin that spread so widely across her face. The only thing that did was when she kissed her _'nephew's' _forehead._

_Kaito was beautiful and warm and innocent and all around perfection. His features were the perfect blend of Fire Nation and Water Tribe, just like his brother. Though unlike Ren, it was possible to see some Earth Kingdom heritage in the child. Longing filled her heart and she gazed up at Iroh hopefully. It did not take long for the General to distinguish her countenance. And, it didn't take long for Korra either._

_She could discern something giddy and excited in the way they gazed upon one another. The difference was slight, but noticeable. Something had happened between them only recently, and though she was dying to know what it was, she wanted to be holding one or both of her sons again. Korra watched as the heiress whispered lowly in Iroh's ear before she handed the infant to him. Asami's startling green eyes had caught hers at that moment, and she chuckled. Prince Iroh, Grand General of the United Forces appeared absolutely horrified about holding him, but Asami's guidance soothed him at once. He boisterously smiled down at Kaito, capturing his heart. Once more Asami whispered to him, making him smile wider._

_A thought struck the young mother as she glanced back towards Bolin and Ren. "I talked to Kirima last night. Maybe you two should go to tea this weekend, have a chat."_

Mako pushed a finger to his lips instructively as the young airbenders surrounded them. The babies had already woken up once before for an extended period, sniveling and cranky, and now they needed rest. Tenzin clamped his hand over Ikki and Meelo's mouths, his two loudest children. The middle-aged master whispered to the young father, "Sorry about that. I told them to be quiet."

"It's okay," Mako mouthed from his seat on the bed beside Korra. With small apologies, the four children instantly glided up onto the bed. Meelo and Ikki sat on their knees in front of the new parents, gazing at them in amazement. Jinora moved to sit cross-legged on Korra's other side, and Rohan made himself comfortable on the side of Mako's lap that was not occupied with an infant.

"What did you name them?" Ikki asked in a loud whisper, once again emitting introductions from Korra and Mako.

"How beautiful. Congratulations," Pema breathed, staring at the infants.

"They are spectacular," Tenzin agreed.

"When will they be able to play?" Meelo asked excitedly. His bright blue eyes stared at the twins. "Playing war isn't that fun with only two people."

"Meelo, war isn't a game," Tenzin gently reminded his eldest son of the Air Nomad's outlook on life.

"Well, they won't be able to play rough like that for awhile. You're a lot bigger than them, Meelo. They probably won't even be interested in peek-a-boo for a couple of weeks," Korra answered kindly.

"How boring," He whined under his breath.

"Korra, can I?" Jinora requested once again, extending her hands out. Trusting the twelve-year-old, the young mother sweetly placed her elder son in her arms with a careful, watchful eye. At once it erupted requests for the same privilege from both Meelo and Ikki.

"Once your sister is done," Korra told them. "And only if you come and sit back against the pillows, and do as I say. You have to be very gentle and very quiet."

Ikki and Meelo nodded at once, accepting Korra's authority as if it were law. Their following patience was surprising and almost a tad unnerving for Tenzin. Meanwhile, in Mako's lap, Rohan sat perplexed, staring intently at Ren. Daringly, the two-year-old reached out to gently pat the infant. The firebender smiled at the little airbender that he had become very attached to since his birth. With big, green eyes, Rohan looked up and with his high-pitched voice announced. "We're going to be friends."

"Yeah?" Mako chuckled, rubbing the little boys back.

"Yeah. Me, Ren, and Ee-doh," He decided, mispronouncing Kaito's given name. "The best."

Not an hour later, Korra's parents arrived. They were tired and weary from travel, but more than ready to meet their grandchildren. Senna had cried at the sight of them, and even Tonraq had let a few tears fall. They had brought gifts, advice, wisdom, love, warmth, and congratulations. At once, they announced their plan to stay and assist them in Republic City for the following weeks when they would be most needed by the tuckered out new parents, but they had agreed that Korra and Mako take this first week to become accustomed to the boys and their schedules. While the two new parents would tire themselves out, they had announced their intentions to relax in the lovely Fire Nation climate in the Capital City, close by in case they were needed before or after their several visits to the palace. The two Southern Water Tribe citizens stayed with their grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law nearly the whole day. Senna would coo right back at the babes when they opened their eyes, only for them to find unfamiliar surroundings and a new stranger once more. And Tonraq would smile and hum to them in a low tone when they awoke, and when they returned to slumber.

Mako swallowed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could not help but wonder if he would be able to live to see his grandchildren like Senna and Tonraq. Or, if he would vanish from his boys' lives much like his parents had years ago. He couldn't help but wonder how his parents would have received his and Korra's children. He could only imagine that it would have been similar to the way Korra's parents had reacted.

At one point during the early afternoon, Korra had fallen into a much-needed sleep, and Senna had volunteered to keep a watchful eye on Ren and Kaito so that Mako could take a break of his own. The firebender had decided to utilize that time to go back to the suite that he shared with his wife to shower and change into a spare change of clothes. Kissing his snoozing wife's cheek and giving his mother-in-law a warm embrace, the young man stepped out into the hallway to make his way back upstairs. Millions of unsettled thoughts swam through his mind, but he was far too tired to truly consider any of them at a single time for very long, and they were beginning to give him a headache. He was tired and drained, but he was well aware that Korra was truly the one that deserved to be exhausted beyond all reasonable measure. And, perhaps a shower would help clear his mind.

"Mako," A kind, familiar voice called from behind him.

The young firebender reeled on his heel. He squinted when he saw the man approaching him, and quickly blinked it away. Shaking his head clear, the tall man with raven hair and smiling green eyes disappeared. It had just been a miserable figment of his imagination. _'My eyes are playing tricks on me cause I'm tired, that's all.'_

Instead, in the man's place, stood a hulking gentleman with olive skin, chocolate hair, and unreadable blue eyes. Unsurely, Mako stuttered, "S-sir?"

Tonraq placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, causing uncertainty for Mako. Typically, the firebender was reading people, or over-analyzing as Bolin referred to it. But, with the older man's inscrutable expression and his close proximity, anxiety began to rule him. So, he was surprised when the elder man pleasantly told him, "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sir," Mako whispered, a slight smile spreading across his lips.

"You helped bring two wonderful people into this world, and you helped my baby girl through it all. I wanted to say thank you, and I'm sorry we couldn't be here sooner. But, you did more than okay from what Katara says." He clamped both hands on the police officer's shoulders. "I know that if your parents could be here they would so happy to meet Kaito and Ren. And they would be so proud of you. So, unbelievably proud, and I know that they are."

Tears streamed down Mako's cheeks uncontrollably, and without a second thought, he flung himself into his father-in-law's embrace. Tonraq gently patted the young man's back as he sobbed against his chest. Supportively, the Water Tribe man allowed the twenty-year-old to break down and rid himself of his guilt. Though the young firebender had just completed another growth spurt not long ago, he was still a tad bit shorter than the massive Tonraq. And, it made him feel unlike he had for the last thirteen years of his life. Very much unlike the hollow, lonely sense of abandonment that came with being an orphan. For the first time in a long time, he felt entirely whole.

* * *

**Writing this chapter gave me so many feels! I really wanted to delve into and foreshadow how the babies' arrival impacted everyone individually, and I hope I managed to do that. I also wanted to portray different aspects of relationships like the one between Mako and Tonraq, Asami and Iroh, Bolin and his nephews, Rohan and the babies, and of course Mako and Korra. I hope I succeeded. Was anyone surprised regarding my choice about on the genders? I know I got a couple of requests for one of each and two girls, but don't fret because I highly doubt that these two will be the last child Mako and Korra (especially with the way they are ;) hah). And as for name meaning-Kaito was named for his eyes (which are like the OCEAN) and Ren means LOTUS, which I figured was kind of important considering the fact that Korra is perpetually guarded by the Order of The Whit Lotus! Anyways, I hope you loved it, and feedback is more than welcome! Please review with any comments, concerns, or questions! Thanks for reading and a Happy Thanksgiving! :D **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello! I think you guys are going to like this chapter it's shorter, but full of drama and fluff. An odd combo, but I think it works. Hope you like it!**

* * *

_Where was she? She didn't recognize this place. Never had she once set foot inside of this residence. It was a residence, wasn't it? After all, there was a neatly made bed behind her. The drapes were opened to reveal a starry, full-mooned night in Republic City, and a fire was lit in the mantle on the far side of the room, symbolizing that it was a cold winter. _'Wait a minute. Winter? But summer just started. We just got back from the Fire Nation. Something isn't right. Did I slip into a coma, or something, and wake up here? How did I get here?'

_Unfamiliar music echoed from somewhere in the house, resonating softly through the hallways. _"Hello?"

_There was no answer, but she knew that someone had to be home. The aura in the building was simply too full of another presence to say that the dwelling was left empty. Quietly, she crept out of the bedroom and into the main hallway where she followed the source of the music. She was surprised to hear a pair of voices, a man and a woman's, exchanging light conversation. Had they not heard her? Before stepping out into the open, she called to them again. Yet, once more there was no response. They simply went on speaking as though they had never perceived the sound of her voice._

_The first thing her cobalt eyes took in was the quaintly furnished parlor on her left and then the nice, little kitchen on her right. But, what made her do a double take were the two people leaning against the counters, stuck in conversation, entirely oblivious to her presence. She squinted and tilted her head just to be sure that her mind was not playing any tricks on her. She was positive that she knew these people, but where from? No, it wasn't possible to know these two individuals personally. Maybe she had become acquainted with them at a gala, or perhaps she had seen them in passing. But, the sensation in her core that told her that these people were practically family had to be wrong. Nonetheless, they seemed so dearly familiar._

_They were young, but with a noticeable age difference of perhaps five years. The man had to be at least ten years older than Korra herself. His umber hair was tied back up into what could have been mistaken for a Water Tribe wolf tail. But, he didn't seem to be Water Tribe in heritage. His tall, stalky figure was grounded just like an earthbender's, and his brown eyes that were too experienced and old for his face, gleamed with mischief. _

_His counterpart on the other hand, had kind, lily green eyes. Like his, her own long, chestnut hair was tied up into a ponytail, but one piece appeared to lack any restraint and constantly made its way in front of her line of vision. Unlike his tan skin, hers was a soft cream. Neither was dressed professionally, so it was impossible to tell what their careers were, but it seemed to the young Avatar that both had just recently returned from a sparring match. And from the way splotches of mud tattered across all of their clothing and exposed skin, except for the whites of their socks, she could correctly assume that they were in fact earthbenders._

_Korra watched as the man pulled out a glass of water for himself as the woman glugged hers down, still intrigued and irritated by the way they paid her absolutely no mind. "Try not to smudge the counter. Jin will be livid if we mess up her spotless kitchen."_

"_You tell me that like I don't know her," The woman argued, throwing him a sharp glance. "When will she be home?"_

_The young man gave her a devilish grin before teasing, "Can't wait to let the cat out of the bag?"_

"_Can't a girl be excited to tell her sister-in-law something important?" She goaded._

"_It isn't a crime," He announced matter-of-fact, crossing his arms over his chest before flashing a superior grin. "But, you really should have tried taking after me and making people pay for secrets like that."_

"_Well, if I don't tell her, her brother will."_

"_You and your _fiancé_ have a hard time with the whole keeping it quiet thing."_

"_Thanks for your enthusiasm, brother dearest," She mocked, although Korra could detect some real hurt in her voice._

_So these people were siblings? She had guessed that they looked a little alike, but not entirely. Their voices felt so commonplace to her. Her affinity for them and her surroundings was so bizarrely comforting. But, the fact that they had not acknowledged her once was unnerving._

_The man gave his little sister a softer smile, and opened up his arms to intercept her. "Of course I'm excited for you. Can't I just give you a bit of a hard time? I've always watched out for you, and now I feel like he's trying to steal that responsibility from me. But, that doesn't go without saying that I won't kick his sorry ass if necessary."_

"_He's a bit light on his feet," She insisted with a genuine smile._

"_Doesn't matter," He decided firmly._

"_He's your wife's little brother."_

"_I think that Jin would be entirely understanding."_

"_Aw," She gushed jokingly, squeezing her brother tighter. "You do care!"_

"_Yes," He sighed in pretend exasperation, mockingly wriggling his way out of her grasp. "I care. Big deal."_

"_Whatever you say." She grinned and rolled her big, green eyes._

_Just as Korra had begun to think that this entirely backwards, yet so realistic world might be nothing more than just a fragment of her dreams, an illusion perhaps, she heard something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It always struck her so when people cried for help like that. She was always confident in her rescue, but to know that another human being was in such dire peril was flustering. And, odds were that whoever they were, would not be able to see her. And, in turn, she would not be capable of helping them. _

"_Hey, in there! I know you're home! You've got to open up! Please! Open the door!" A young man's steady voice shouted in urgency as a fist pounded against what could only be the front door. That voice. It was familiar, perhaps a bit deeper than she remembered, but definitely well known to her. She just couldn't seem to place anything at the moment._

_Alarmed by the sudden outburst, the brother and sister exchanged perturbed glances. The man moved first, and with a steady, authoritative voice called out, "Calm down, kiddo. I'm coming."_

_Korra's heart pounded in anticipation, and her feet were grounded, ready for action. The man' physique skewed her view of the now open doorframe completely, but she could hear him gasp out, "Spirits. Bring her in. Put her on the sofa."_

_When he backed away to offer space to his unexpected guests, so did Korra. The raven-haired figure of a tall, muscular young man stumbled through in reverse. He was hunched over slightly to support whatever dead weight he was carrying in his arms. He seemed to be lacking any type of proper shirt for winter, evident by the bareness of his arms and shoulders. On the other end of his load, was another young man that appeared to be in a similar situation. His russet head was bowed, preventing a good look at either of their faces._

"_How did this happen?" The man questioned, gesturing for his sister to come aid them._

_Korra's eyes quickly travelled towards what they were carrying, and she could immediately tell that it was an unconscious person, a young woman no less. She followed closely behind them as the two gently laid her down on the man's couch. The girl was wrapped up in a male's coat that was far too large for her. But, that was the only garment she adorned, save for a blood-soaked piece of cloth wound snugly around her upper arm. Cuts and scrapes outlined numerous places along her bruised flesh. Purple silhouettes of fingerprints cuffed her wrists like ugly bracelets, the insides of her thighs were marred blue, and it appeared that she had been struck across her beautiful face numerous times._

_Her face._

'Asami?'_ Korra nearly tripped backwards with shock, and anger boiled deep inside of her with the recognition. But, it wasn't Asami. It couldn't be. Asami's chin was a tad more pointed and her eyebrows were a bit more rounded. This girl's cheekbones were more pronounced, and her irises, forcefully exposed by her attendees to check dilation, were golden. Besides, this girl had to be at least three years younger. Even still, the resemblance was startling._

"_We didn't know where else to go." One of the young men croaked calmly in that familiar voice, although she was unsure as to which one because she could not bear to tear her eyes away from the horrific scene before her. There was so much she wished she could offer, to explain, and to help. But, she knew her efforts would be futile. Ignored._

_The woman had retrieved a frozen cut of meat to place on the girl's swollen eye and a first aid kit to treat her more severe injuries. Steadily, she set to work on sanitizing her open wounds as the other young man pitched in with a similar tone. "The hospital is too far away. Mom and both of our aunts and uncles are out of town, and Dad's still working his shift at the station. Everyone's gone, or too far away. You were closest. We did what little healing we could when we found her, we just couldn't-."_

"_You and your brother did what you thought was best, and that's what counts," The man barked forcefully, doing his finest to keep the two boys' attention on the matter at hand. _

'Healers?'_ Korra wondered. She glanced sideways at the brothers, who couldn't be a day over eighteen, and shook her head. Her subconscious was definitely playing tricks on her now. They looked like her. Well, not entirely. They looked like Mako, Bolin, her father, her mother. All rolled into two people. And their eyes, so piercing and startling. One set bright and open, and the other deep and mysterious._

_The russet-haired young man nodded before quickly trekking into the kitchen to fill a bowl with water. When he returned, he kneeled in front of the sofa beside his brother, who stared perplexedly at the broken girl. Korra noticed the way the russet-haired boy frowned at his brother before he calmly bent the water from the bowl, coating his hands and her destructed body in the glowing liquid. Pursing her lips, the Avatar tried to will the water to obey her also, to speed this process along. But, it paid her no mind._

"_Help me here, will you?" The russet-haired young man snapped coldly at his brother. His voice came out distant and level headed as he continued. "I'm not sure if this gash on her arm is going to need proper medical attention or not. It won't seem to close."_

"_Maybe you're just not doing it right," The raven-haired boy hissed. _

_His remark was biting and meant to inflict pain, but his brother shrugged it off. "I could use a hand."_

_Jaw clenched, the raven-haired young man kneeled beside his brother to begrudgingly assist him. Tension rippled back and forth between the two, and it became clear to Korra that the only thing keeping them civil was the unconscious girl on the couch. And, it saddened her._

_Behind her, the man turned to his sister. "Could you go get something of Jin's for her to wear in our dresser? I'm going to call Mako at the station, and see what he thinks. And, then I'll call her parents, tell them to come home."_

_Left alone with the three teenagers, a heavy uncomfortable silence fell over them as if they had been blanketed with needles, and one wrong move would impale them. The black-haired boy spoke first. "Is it done?"_

"_It's scabbing, so a little longer. We need to make sure there's scar tissue so that it won't reopen." Their formality with one another was uncommon in brothers, and even though she wasn't directly involved in their dilemma, it made Korra uncomfortable._

_Not even thirty seconds later, the black-haired boy stood, dropping his healing water back in the bowl. Grief crossed over his features as he leaned over to place a gentle kiss to the top of the girl's forehead. His brother glared up at him disbelievingly as he walked towards a coat rack and selected a dark grey male jacket. As his brother threw it on, the russet-haired young man stood and scoffed, "Where do you think you're going?"_

_Dark eyes narrowed. "The girl that I love was just assaulted, nearly beaten to death, and you expect me to just sit here while those creeps are still out there."_

"_I don't _expect_ anything from you," He shot back. "But, what you need to do is stay here for now. Until she wakes up. Until Dad gets here. "_

"_What good will waiting do? It won't bring them to justice any sooner!"_

"_You aren't a cop! Don't be a vigilante! You don't have the authority, and they already have a vendetta against us. You know that."_

"_So, what? You're just going to stay here and take it lying down? Oh, that's rich! What happened to, 'Let's be Republic City's heroes?' Glad to know you can be a hero when it's needed."_

_His voice was steadier now. "I'm going to be here when she wakes up. She needs that."_

_The black-haired young man followed suit and lowered the levels of passion in his volume, but his words still dripped with disgust. "So, I can't expect you to be by my side for this, brother?"_

"_Not at a time like this. Not when our minds are so jumbled," The other answered flatly, shaking his head._

"_Then clearly you don't love her like I do. Tell Skooch I said thanks for the coat." And with that last phrase uttered, the door slammed shut, and a single tear fell from the russet-haired young man's bright blue eyes._

* * *

"I swear, you guys, they're the most amazing things I've ever seen," Bolin boasted to his teammates, chucking two earth discs into the roped net on the opposite side of the room.

"Uh-huh," Tamal mumbled as he sent a flaming roundhouse kick at a practice dummy. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead from the extensive practice. Their waterbender, much improved from last season, flashed a grin at Bolin.

"You should call Korra and Mako. I'm sure they'd love for you to drop by and meet them," The earthbender continued. Pride for his nephews swelled in his heart, and absolutely nothing could extinguish it. Bolin had become immediately attached to them, and had begged to help the new parents with anything he could. However, the first time he had been made to change a diaper had made him squirm in disgust, aware of a whole new side to his nephews. Nonetheless, he still remained enthusiastic about them, even to the point where Korra and Mako had sent him home, insisting that they hoped he was still this enthusiastic in the next four or five months.

"Mako probably won't," The firebender muttered under his breath.

"Sure he would," Bolin announced enthusiastically. "I've never seen him so proud. They're all he ever talks about. He loves to go on and on about them. It's almost a little pesky at times."

"I wouldn't know the feeling," Tamal teased.

"What's that?"

"Nothin'," He said with a grin and a shrug, receiving an earth disk in the gut. The handsome young man grunted before chuckling, "Thanks, captain."

"No problem," Bolin joked.

"I'm happy for you, Bo. Really," Tamal told him reassuringly as the doors to the practice gym opened wide. The two young men rounded on their heals, to see who had interrupted their practice session.

Leaning against the frame of the door was the source of Bolin's affection. Tamal chuckled as he watched his captain's face light up, only to be doused by water from his fellow teammate who jeered at him to focus on the actual practice. Blue eyes danced in Bolin's mind as he removed his practice helmet. His voice was distracted as Pabu climbed his shoulder. He turned his head over his shoulder as he walked, "Let's call it a day. Good job, you guys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch date with this beautiful lady."

Bolin's arm snaked around her shoulders and she melded right against him, arms folded across her chest. Sweetly, he pushed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Missed you."

The girl with the heavy black bangs rolled her blue eyes, but a smile and a small blush crept up her tan cheeks regardless.

* * *

"I'm fairly sure that putting up gates isn't necessary yet, Mako. They won't even be scooting for at least another seven months," The raven-haired girl laughed into the telephone. She paused for a moment to listen the man on the other end of the line. "You know that if Korra wakes up during the middle of the night and trips over one, she'll burn it down, and then she'll go after you?"

She paused again, drumming her fingers on the counter as she tuned into his words. "Yeah, not a good idea, see? All right, well, Iroh should be here any minute, so I have to go. Give everyone my love, and give the boys a kiss from me…All righty…I'll see you all tomorrow…Okay…Bye."

Asami smiled as she hung up the phone. Like everyone else, she had fallen in love with her nephews, and she had been honored when Korra and Mako had asked her to be their godmother. Though she attended to her work and other duties, she often found herself drifting to Korra and Mako's home more often than to anyone else's. But, then again, everyone else was doing the exact same thing. It was simply too difficult to get enough of Ren and Kaito.

There was rumble of knocks on her door, and within an instant she was on her feet. The man she had been expecting stood before her, and she grinned broadly at him. Devilishly, she greeted, "Hey, Clumsy."

His amber eyes rolled as he stepped into her entryway and folded his arms across his chest. "And here I was just beginning to think that you might let me forget about that."

"Never," She retorted, tilting her head upwards to receive a quick kiss.

"Well, it was either going to be you, or Suzume. The little elephant rat," He muttered.

"Sweetie, I think it would have been most, or all of your party guests." Reassuringly, and with a tad of humor, she squeezed his arm. "It's hard to forget the Prince of the Fire Nation falling flat on his face at his own birthday party."

"I tripped," He insisted with a boyish pout. "It wasn't my fault. I was trying to get to you during that time, and I felt rushed with everything going on."

"Understandable, but still pretty funny," She giggled

"I believe _nerve-wracking_ is the more appropriate word choice."

"It was sweet," Asami assured him as she retrieved her satchel from the spot on the counter that she always left it in, her voice almost a coo now. When she returned to him, she cupped his cheek with her left hand. "I was nervous too. Taken off guard, actually. But, you didn't need to worry, because you knew my answer. And, I did too."

Iroh smiled at her, and placed a tender kiss on her lips. "Are you ready for our appointment?"

"Always have been," The raven-haired girl answered.

"You've always been ready to pick your venue?" Iroh questioned disbelievingly, twiddling with the band on one of her fingers on her left hand.

"Not just any venue, my dear. _Our _venue."

* * *

She gasped, sucking in the air as though she had been deprived of it. Her eyes burned as she tried to open them, and she felt as if a weight was being pushed down against her chest. The drums of her ears rang, and her entire body ached. A damp sensation ran across her forehead, and she shivered. Familiar lips pressed against her cheek, and a handsome, young face came into her slightly blurry view.

His voice was merely a whisper as one of his hands ran through her hair. "Hey, Kor. You okay?"

Korra blinked to clear her eyes of sleep, and she noticed that mid-afternoon light from the cracked windows danced across her husbands face, and gave the walls a purplish tint. She furrowed her eyebrows, and tried to swallow. Realizing that it was far too difficult, she opened her mouth and patted her throat, though it took a tad of effort. He understood immediately, and pushed a glass of ice water against her lips. The Avatar drank it greedily, yet it only ebbed the parched feeling burning in her throat.

When she had finished it, Mako removed the washcloth and placed the back of his hand against her forehead and cheeks. He frowned, "Well, you're still warm. So, I don't think you've broken your fever yet, but it's definitely gone down."

"Fever?" She mumbled, trying to sit up.

Helpfully, her firebender propped her back up against the pillows. "Yeah, you came down with it yesterday evening. It was pretty high too. It got you hallucinating even."

"Hallucinating?" Korra felt like a parrot-hawk now, repeating everything he told her. But, she had absolutely no memory of being put to bed, or even coming down with such a temperature.

Mako nodded, frowning a bit. "You were going on and on talking to people that weren't there. You kept trying to heal someone, or instruct someone on how to heal. I'm not sure exactly. But, it sure got a rise out of everyone. Bolin thought that you were tipsy, and Asami thought that you were just tired. Your dad was the one that pointed out how flushed in the face you were, and that you truthfully weren't comprehending anything we were saying."

"Well, I'm glad someone caught on," Korra teased.

"Aren't we all? It would be awful to have two sick babies," He agreed, enjoying the way her face lit up at the mention of them.

"Where are the boys?" She chattered hopefully. Their birth had been just over a week and a half ago, and no one could go by without noticing just how wonderful they were. They were hardly ever asleep in their own cradle most days, save for nighttime. Nearly every second of waking hours they were held by one person or another, namely their parent's family and friends. Mako and Korra mainly held them during the middle of the night when they awoke crying, and during feedings. But during those special moments that they were able to snatch them away without having to change, or feed, or comfort them into silence, truly were the most precious and treasure in all of their lives. Plain and simply, Ren and Kaito had their parents tightly wrapped around their little fingers, and Mako and Korra wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Your mom and dad have them." He told her kindly. "They're asleep for now, and being handled well. But during the middle of the night Ren woke up crying because he was hungry, and I can't tell you how difficult it was calm him down. I burnt my wrist because I overheated the bottle, and then I had to wait for it to cool down, and he got really upset about having to wait. I just felt pretty bad about it, like I'm not doing that good of a job with them."

Korra rolled her eyes, though it burned to do so, before flashing him a smile. Though her body felt tired, she still reached out to him and grasped his hand. "It was an accident. I know I've missed up countless times already, but now you know what to do next time. So, stop moping, City Boy. You're doing a great job. Better than me, that's for sure. And, that's not something I admit proudly."

Mako sniggered before placing a kiss to her forehead. "You're a wonderful mother. And, seeing as they came out of you, I think you've already scored some bonus points."

"You got me there," She teased. "Did you just get home from work?"

"Yeah, I worked a shorter shift today."

The Avatar frowned slightly. A shorter shift also meant a more hands-on shift. And it really wasn't his safety that concerned her. She knew fully well that Mako was more than capable of protecting himself, even if he did come home with a few scrapes and bruises. Truthfully, Korra was jealous. During the last few months of her pregnancy she had been restless and antsy from lack of any strenuous bending. And now, for the next few weeks, she was still supposed to avoid it in order to recover.

Mako scowled for a moment, clearly trapped inside of a thought. But, before she could ask anything, he told her. "You remember that Agni Kai guy I arrested a few months ago? The one that tried to stab me on the rooftop? The one Lin decided it would be best if I stayed out of his questioning? Apparently he's gone. They're saying it was suicide, but he was bumped off. By his own people, I'm sure. So, there's another dead end. No way to get answers out of him now."

He sighed and rubbed his temples, burying his forehead into the palm of his hand. Frustration rolled off of him, and Korra leaned forwards. Soothingly, she collected him into her arms. Though she herself ached with soreness, her fingertips massaged the back of his scalp and his back. She could feel the tightness in his shoulders slowly relax, and the heat his body radiated from firebending slowly cooled.

* * *

**Can anyone guess who those people were in the first part? Or how about the part with Bolin? And aw I just love me some Irosami and Makorra, how about you guys? Please review! ANd many thanks to my readers and reviewers on the last chapter! You guys are great! Have a wonderful day! :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all your reviews from last chapter! You guys are awesome! This chapter is a little short, but I think you guys will like it. It's sort of written like a bunch of drabbles. All about the boys. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Ren smiled first._

* * *

He held onto the door as he let it close shut behind him so that it did not slam and unintentionally wake the three people inside that he hoped were asleep. The young man yawned as he hung up his coat and removed his shoes before heading to the kitchen to put a pot of tea on the stove. From her bed at the edge of the dining room, Naga perked her ears up to spy on him before lazily putting her head back down and falling asleep.

The firebender smiled. He couldn't blame her. It had been a long night for the Republic City Police Force. Unlike the usually calm graveyard shift where he, his partner, and task force busied themselves with paperwork, this last evening had been plagued with constant calls dealing with a series of break-ins, robberies, and a drug-bust involving a few notorious Triple Threat Triad associates. Mako had been more than relieved when he had not come across any familiar faces during the raid on the front. If he had come across anyone such as Two-Toed Ping or Shady Shin, the Triple Threats would have taken it as an act of betrayal, on top of the grudge that they already felt for him disbanding from the triad and joining the Force. And, he certainly did not need any more angry triads after him with the vendetta that the Agni Kais held against him and his wife, especially after they aided the Red Monsoon boss with saving his family.

A few rays of dawn broke through the blinds as he trekked away from the kitchen down the hall. Stretching, he passed the entrance to the nursery and came to pause in front of the bedroom he shared with his wife before silently opening the door. Inside were the lights to his entire world, and he felt the stress of last night alleviate at the mere sight before him. Soundlessly, he moved towards the king-sized bed where a sleeping figure snoozed, lost in dreams. Her chest rose and fell steadily as her breath blew a strand of her mocha hair back and forth. Apparently sometime during the night she had kicked away all of the covers from the heat of the summer night, and she cuddled a pillow-his pillow-snugly against her front, her leg and arm strew across it. Mako smiled softly as he fixed the blankets that now rested on the floor, and pulled a sheet overtop of her. Gently, he pushed the hair out of her face, and placed a kiss to the heavy sleeper's temple. Next, he turned round to face two Water Tribe bassinets-one Korra's birthday present, and the other, his.

Though the nursery was laden down with baby supplies and was more than prepared to house Kaito and Ren, both young parents had gotten rather accustomed to their sons sleeping just across the room from them during the night. It was not to say that the nursery went unused. In fact, the first few weeks of their life had been spent there as Korra's parents had been in their home to help them, and their changings and feedings were all done there. However, it was comforting to Mako and Korra to have such easy access to them. And on nights like these, when Mako was required to report to the police station, it was especially comforting to Korra.

Mako peered into the cradle on his left to see his elder son curled up in slumber. Kaito rested halfway on his back with his head lolled to the side. His hands were raised on either side of his face-his face that appeared to share many of his father's and uncle's features-and his thumb was jammed inside of his mouth. The little, raven-haired boy was a lighter sleeper than his brother and mother, so Mako was careful when he gently kissed the top of his forehead. Relieved when he didn't wake, the young father could only assume that Korra had just put him back down no less than forty minutes ago. However, when he went to check on his younger tot, he was not so sure.

Ren moved, slightly restless, and Mako knew not to touch him for risk of waking him. Yet, his efforts were useless as the infant opened his bright, icy eyes anyways. Mako pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows as though he had been caught red-handed, and he froze. Silently, the firebender sent a quick prayer to the spirits that the little one would not vocalize his return to the waking world seeing as he was very vocal when he wished to have the focus of an audience upon him. And, even at eight weeks old, he seemed to appreciate extra attention, and he knew full well that he could get it by sniveling. But, to Mako's great surprise, Ren did no such thing.

Instead, the infant's blue eyes found his father's face, and there was a flicker of obvious recognition. The babe's lips parted somewhat to reveal a gummy, toothless mouth before curving upwards.

At first, Mako thought that the action was a signal that his son had passed gas. After all, he had seen both of the boys-and Rohan when he was a baby-do the exact same thing countless times. But, this one was different. His eyes followed Mako intently, focused, happy.

It was okay that he had woken up because Daddy was right there for him. And, even better, Daddy was making a funny face.

Delighted, Mako smiled back at his infant son. Pushing a finger to his lips to show that he needed to be quiet until they were out of the room so that Mommy and Kaito were not woken up, Mako scooped the russet-haired twin up into his arms. He would have to see if Ren would do the same thing for Korra later that day, and he was certain that he would. But, for now, Mako would enjoy the fact that Ren's first social smile was reserved specially for him.

* * *

_Kaito slept through the night first._

* * *

Four months.

Four _long_ months.

More specifically eighteen weeks, five days, and approximately fifteen hours.

Only those five days and fifteen hours had been without the boys. Today they were exactly eighteen weeks old, and both Mako and Korra could feel that length of time-emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And, both knew that they shouldn't have been any happier, but that simply was not the case. With the guilt placed on top of their irritation, tiredness, annoyance, and stress, they were absolutely miserable.

Korra sighed as she stepped outside of the nursery. Folding her arms across her chest, she leaned back against the door. Dark circles ringed the bottom of her cobalt eyes, her color was slightly drained of its usual olive complexion, and stiffness seemed to be ever-present in the back of her jaw. At the sound of another pair of footsteps halting at the edge of the hallway near the kitchen, her head shot up and she scowled. "Thanks for the help."

"He's not _responding_ to me right now for whatever reason," He bit back defensively. His own amber eyes held the same amount of exhaustion and frustration as his wife's did, and his glare nearly matched.

"Last time I checked we had _two _kids, not one," She hissed, holding up her fingers to emphasize her point.

"I only heard Kaito crying," Mako insisted, shaking his head in irritation.

"_Initially_," Korra spat before stalking her way around him towards the icebox to fetch a glass of water. She was careful to not bump into him on her way around him, he deserved more than just a petty shove. Mako rolled his eyes as he set back to work on the rice porridge he was preparing for their late evening dinner.

Their schedules had been entirely destroyed. Just as they had begun to feel as though they had managed to find a fairly regular program, they had been thrown a curveball. With more triad violence that had surged over the past few weeks, Mako had been forced to add on a few extra shifts at the station while his bride had her own dilemmas to work with. A small dispute had broken out between the Northern Water Tribe and a few regions of the Northern Earth Kingdom several weeks ago, and over the course of time it had slowly begun to escalate. It was now even beginning to affect the judgments of the Republic City Council, and Korra new that if things did not calm down soon enough, the trouble would be brought to the citizens of Republic City. There would be unrest between the different cultures here, and she may eventually have been called out to settle the problem within the next few months if it did not die out on its own.

Between their respective occupations, they were required to keep a twenty-four hour watch of supervision over their twins, who they did not want to hire outside care for. Asami, Bolin, and Pema had been able to help somewhat, but they each had their own responsibilities as well, so it had been stressful trying to work out time for their boys and jobs, let alone eating and sleeping. It also did not help that neither of the boys would sleep for any longer than three hours at a time. What really did not help was that they had practically forgotten their first anniversary, only able to celebrate by taking a well-deserved nap. And, what mainly did not help was the fact that Mako and Korra had not been able to be intimate in eighteen weeks, five days, and approximately fifteen hours.

So, at ten-thirty at night, tired, hungry, angry, bothered, and dissatisfied beyond belief, the young couple made their way around the kitchen. Silence and tension circulated throughout the atmosphere, and both could feel the agitation gather in their necks and shoulders. Their words were short and harsh in exchange.

"That's taking forever," Korra muttered under her breath as she leaned against the kitchen counter, glaring at the rice porridge Mako had thrown together in a pot on the stove.

"Maybe if you had started it before I got home, we could have already eaten," The firebender retorted, throwing her a sideways glare as he stirred away.

"Well, _excuse_ me, but I think I was busy trying to calm down _your _sons _without_ yourhelp!" The twenty-year-old woman bit back, standing up straight.

"Oh, so they're just _my _sons now?" Mako argued, turning his focus on her, nostrils flaring. "Last I checked, they came out of you, which makes them _our _responsibility, Korra!"

"Precisely," The waterbender snapped. "_Ours_! As in, you have to pitch in too!"

"What are you implying?" He scoffed incredulously.

"You want me to spell it out for you?"

"Be my guest!"

"Okay, for starters, when was the last time you changed one of their diapers?"

"This morning before I left for work," The young man answered smugly.

"They go through five a day each. At least! I've counted nine today in total. On top of that, they need to be washed and hung and dried. I missed a Council meeting because I had too much damn work to do here, and only a fraction of it included looking after them! And what were you doing? You were off sitting on some bike beneath a bridge exit waiting to nail someone with a speeding ticket!"

"Welcome to my world each day I'm here and you're not! You leave the house looking worse than I do! And thanks so much! I'm so glad you think so highly of my work, because you know what? You're so right. That's exactly what I do all day, Korra. I sit on my ass all day and wait for something to fall in my lap like a gift from the Spirits themselves. I don't even dream of actually doing something productive like disbanding a triad. That would keep my family safe. That's a preposterous idea. After all, it's the Avatar's responsibility to handle all the big stuff like that."

Her eyes lit with a fury and passion that he had formerly thought was exhausted out of her, but apparently he had pushed her just over the edge. "You know damn well I've played a part in that!"

"Which part? The part where you get to stay at home and lounge, or nap while the council drones on and on about absolutely nothing?"

Korra's voice rose. "Oh, kiss my ass, Mako!"

"That's right, yell! Wake them up!"

"I'm not yelling!" Her voice went up half an octave as she continued, stepping closer to him so that they could glare at one another square in the eye. "Do you want to hear me yell? Because I can scream and holler and wake the whole damn building up if you want!"

"Shit," Mako suddenly yelped. The firebender jumped backwards, waving his hand in the air. Grimacing, he grasped for it before rushing towards the sink. Groaning in pain, he ran his blistering, red flesh underneath the ice-cold water running from the faucet.

"Did you burn yourself?" Korra asked reflexively. Her voice was no longer so harsh and loud, but irritably concerned. "Let me see it, you big idiot."

Bending the water from the faucet, Korra ran the glowing healing liquid across her husband's hand. His grimace slowly faded, and he sighed with relief. His hand no longer had any redness or charcoaled skin left, but was his normal smooth, creamy tone. With only a slight amount of resentment that restrained him, Mako's conscience fought for better judgment and he muttered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," She murmured in response. Her blue eyes glanced upwards, and she couldn't help but notice just how close he was, how comfortingly warm his body always was, even though there was a mere inches that separated them. His amber eyes sparkled, and she was suddenly mesmerized by the way she had nearly forgotten why she was mad at him in the first place.

Within seconds, Korra found herself sitting on the edge of the island counter with her arms and legs wrapped tightly around her husband. Her fingers meshed through the short main of black hair on top of his head, and her legs were wrapped eagerly around his waist, pulling his pelvis as close to her as physically possible. Their tongues fought for dominance as their lips pushed against each other's hungrily, the food on the stove all but forgotten, only having the willpower to turn the burner off.

Mako's hands roamed up the inside of her shirt, bunching the fabric upwards and exposing her tan stomach. Though his hands were warm, she shivered at his touch, and he smirked against her mouth. With an insincere glare she roughly grasped the clasps of his trousers, and fumbled desperately with the button. In need, the firebender sucked gently on the sensitive tissue of her throat, causing her to gasp.

"Wait," Korra whispered forcefully, freezing in place. The young lovers held still as statues, listening intently for the sources that had interrupted them every other time they had tried to consummate their marriage once again. But, to their utmost relief, they were greeted with silence. Their outburst had not woken either of the twins. And upon realizing this, Korra immediately addressed her husband. Her voice was urgent and heated, and it aroused her husband's interest entirely. "Don't fool around."

By some miracle, a few hours later, they lay panting on their mattress. The sheets were sprawled unevenly across the bed, but neither of them seemed to mind. Korra rested her head contently against her husband's chest, listening to the sound of his rapid heartbeat slow. Full, content, and drowsy, Mako kissed the top of her forehead as he twiddled a strand of her hair between his fingers. All the tension had drained from them, and for the first time in weeks they were truly joyful. Tenderly, Mako rubbed her bare back as her fingers trailed invisible lines across his chest. Absolutely nothing could ruin this moment. Absolutely nothing except for a child's cry in the night, but even that did not kill their mood.

The sound of an infant's wail could be heard from the nursery, and both knew that they would have to move quickly so that the other did not wake up. Swiftly, Korra picked herself up onto all fours and placed a chaste kiss on her husband's lips. Mako whimpered in protest when she flashed an adoring smile and slipped out of his arms. Throwing on a robe, she made her way to the door and whispered, "I'll be right back."

And she was. Not ten minutes later, she slid back through the door and discarded the robe. Mako grinned as she climbed back up next to him and curled up against him, pulling the cover up with her. He had definitely come to enjoy the slight changes that motherhood had brought to Korra's body. Though she had practically dropped the pregnancy weight immediately, her body shape had altered somewhat. Her figure had become a perfect hourglass, the babies having pushed her hips out a tad wider, and her breasts had swelled a bit. Lovingly, he wrapped her up in his arms again as she explained, "Ren just needed some attention. He was hungry. Kaito slept through it all."

Mako's brow furrowed. It was so unlike Kaito to sleep through too much disruption, but the firebender had noticed that his elder son had certainly gotten better when it came to sleeping at night. Concerned, he asked, "Is he okay?"

"He's perfectly fine. I checked," Korra answered, pecking his cheek. "He's just asleep. Like a rock."

"I wonder how long that'll last," He murmured. His wife shrugged sleepily, more than ready to fall asleep. Within moments, both had lost consciousness, and neither was awakened by Kaito until early the next morning.

* * *

_Ren spoke first._

* * *

At the end of the twelfth month of the year, six months since the twins' birth, six months since Asami and General Iroh had announced their intention to marry at the beginning of the next year, the little family along with Bolin was gathered on the docks of Republic City's United Nation's port of call. All of them were bundled in their warmest winter clothes as a breeze blew in off of the ocean. The first rays of sun were peaking over the mountains to the east, but even though the morning was fresh, all eyes were open, and the boys were wide-awake.

Their blue eyes peered curiously, mesmerized by the large naval ship docked before them, only glancing away when spoken to. Mako and Korra held Ren and Kaito respectively while Bolin had his sister-in-law's bag strung over his shoulder. Tears swelled up in the young woman's eyes as she kissed her elder son. Kaito glanced at her uncertainly, wary about why his beloved mommy was crying. But when she smiled at him, a grin spread across his face and his worries seemed to disappear from his countenance. Gently, she stroked his thick, black mane before handing him off to his Uncle, who had set her knapsack down at her side.

Sure, she had maybe spent a few hours at a time away from her babies, but she had never been separated from them for any extended length of time. And now, she was expected to report to international waters between the Earth Kingdom and Northern Water Tribe to try and settle their dispute in a civilized manner. Commander Bumi and his fleet were set to escort her, and Tenzin's brother was already aboard, finishing preparations for-as he liked to tease-his _father_. At a minimum, the journey would last two weeks.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Mako asked sweetly, bouncing Ren up further on his hip.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine," She answered quickly. Korra sniffled and rubbed her eyes before throwing him a smile. "Do you have the boys' pediatrician's number just in case?"

"Yes, Healer Chu is at the top of the list," He reassured her.

"Pema's?"

He nodded.

"Asami's?"

Once more, he bobbed his head up and down in an affirmative motion.

"Are you sure you're all going to alright?" She parroted his question, glancing between the men in her life. "Because I can just ask Bumi to do this without me."

Mako placed a hand on Korra's arm, and smiled sadly with his warm, honey irises. "No, you have to go, it's your job. The world needs you. We'll be okay. I'll write you everyday and let you know how we're doing."

"Yeah, Kor, no need to worry," Bolin added, grinning down at Kaito, who currently found it amusing to pull on the curly strand of hair that hung down over his uncle's forehead. "They've got Uncle Bo."

Korra smirked at her brother-in-law before yanking Mako forwards by his scarf. Earnestly, she placed a loving kiss against his lips, which he eagerly returned while making sure that their son was not squished in between them. "Love you."

"Love you, too," He answered as she bent over to kiss Ren goodbye and pick up her knapsack. He smiled back at her as his father moved his hand up and down in a bye-bye motion.

The young mother kissed each of her sons once more in farewell. "Be good for Daddy and Uncle Bo. I'll be back soon. Momma loves you"

Ren giggled with delight, but as soon as his mother began to step away from them and move towards the massive ship in front of them, his little face fell. He wriggled unhappily as his mommy blew one more kiss in their direction, sending her love to them. The little brunette whined, displeased, as his father told him to say bye-bye. But, what came out instead of a farewell was rather unexpected. It was almost a coo, high-pitched, and a bit uneven, but the word was distinct. With his tiny fists reaching out towards the departing young woman and tears beginning to stream down his cheeks, Ren called out, "Momma!"

* * *

_Kaito discovered his bending first._

* * *

"Bolin," Mako's irritated and sour voice echoed throughout his home.

The earthbender rounded the corner of the nursery and stepped into the hallway, a twin in each arm. Upon seeing his brother's face, Bolin threw him a sheepish smile. "No, don't get mad. I have a simple explanation for all this."

"You better start now," The firebender warned as his sons squealed in laughter at their silly daddy. The young man sat, sprawled out on the hardwood floor with his legs spread out in a ninety-degree angle. Water pooled around him. He rubbed his backside as though he had fallen on it roughly, and glared intently at his younger bother. Though he had no obvious proof, Mako assumed whole-heartedly that Bolin was entirely at fault for his slip.

Bolin glanced at the raven-haired boy in his right arm and grinned. "Maybe it'll be better to just show you. Korra will definitely want to hear about this."

* * *

_They began to crawl at the same time._

* * *

"Mako!" Korra called down the hall to her husband from the parlor. She frowned as she tried to poke an earing through her lobe, pacing away from her babies on a blanket on the floor towards the breakfast table to grab her keys. "Babe, can you grab my sweater? I left it on the chair."

"Yeah, I've got it," Her firebender told her. Within moments his footsteps resonated from the entrance to the hallway, and he paused. His voice grew slightly concerned as he said, "Korra, where are the boys?"

"On the blanket."

"No, they're not."

"What?" She asked, reeling on her heel. Her cobalt eyes grew wide, and her heart pounded rapidly. A mixture of anxiety and anger swelled up in her. This had better not be a joke. Korra stalked towards her husband, who was dressed in his Police Force formal dress, and turned to look at the blanket in the middle of the parlor. Sure enough, her children were no longer there. But, where else could they possibly be? No one could have taken them anywhere. She had just set them down to grab her things. And they were not yet capable of walking away.

And, then it hit her.

Rapidly, she moved towards the edge of the couch, behind which was hidden from their view. But, she did not need to walk any further as two, tiny heads, one russet-topped and the other black-topped, appeared around the edge. They smiled mischievously as her mouth fell slightly agape.

Mako beamed as he reached down to scoop up his boys. Passing one off to Korra, he told her, "Looks like we're going to be kept busy tonight."

Korra rolled her eyes. The twins would be the hit of Asami and Iroh's rehearsal that evening. "Or forever."

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing these, and I hope you guys liked it too! I'll try to have the next chapter up by New Years, that'll be a good one! Anyways, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you lovely readers! Please Review! **


	27. Chapter 27

**Let me just say, you guys are amazing! Over 200 reviews! That's freaking awesome! ANd as a thanks to you guys, I want to write something for you all as a gift! So, leave me me with some suggestions: prompts for a one-shot, content that you want to see come up in Embers in The Mist, etc. Anything you guys want, just let me know in your reviews! I'll try to do like a majority consensus thing! So let me know!**

**Now, this chapter: don't hate me for it's content. It's written this way to convey a message, and I hope I got it across. Please still enjoy it! And a Happy New Year everybody!**

* * *

Green eyes.

They ghosted around him every which way he turned. They haunted him. Taunted him. Called to him. They drove him mad.

He knew it was unhealthy, that he needed to let her go. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

And, as he stumbled up the stairs with the ebony-haired young beauty in his arms, attached at the lips, he was certain that such a thing was impossible.

* * *

"Watch your step, Miss."

"Thank you," The young woman answered shyly as she accepted the man's hand, stepping off of the gangplank and onto the deck of the ship. A gentle hand rested on her back to offer her extra support as she made her way off of the steep ramp, and she flaunted a grin at its source over her shoulder.

"You're very welcome, Miss Sato." The crewmember flashed her a smile of recognition before glancing at the young man behind her. Rapidly, he did a double take, blushed hotly, and stooped into a bow, removing his cap. "Er-I mean, _Mrs._ Sato. Welcome aboard, Your Majesties."

Quickly, the young man slipped a folded piece of printed parchment into the sailor's hand. His pale face was slightly flushed as he told him in a low voice, "Please, we're not really looking to attract too much attention while we're aboard."

"Of course not, sir," The sailor reassured him, rejecting the young General's bribe, much to Asami's surprise. "Have a happy honeymoon."

"Thank you," The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation said with an appreciative smile before taking his bride's hand in his own and making their way towards their cabin.

* * *

Pretending to feel no pain was something that he had grown accustomed to. And, it was something that he would come to do time and time again. But, right now, at this very moment, he needed this.

He needed her. Her touch. Her smile. Her caress. Her laugh. Her kiss. Her love.

* * *

Her head was bowed slightly, causing her cascading raven locks to pour down the side of her face. The purple tinted around her lids revealed her spectacular green eyes to be closed shut. Moonlight reflected on the paleness of her skin, further contrasting her from the red of the walls and her lips and cheeks. Her blush crept up steadily, and refused to depart.

Statuesque. Like she had been carved and molded by the spirits of beauty themselves, not one part of her flawed.

And it made his very breath hitch in his throat, choked.

Still. That's what she was. Or, as still as she could be as she tucked her head further into the collar of her turtleneck sweater. As still as she could seem until his sharp, amber eyes caught it.

She was trembling.

At once, with careful ease, he stood up on his knees and gently reached out for her kneeling frame, her hands in her lap. She didn't fall into him as she had done so many times before, willingly accepting his presence. But, she did allow for him to come near to her and pull her into the warmth of his cotton-covered chest. Lovingly, he held her there, feeling her quiver against him, unsure of how else to put her at ease when he was positive that he was actually the cause of her shakes.

"Hear that?" He laughed nervously, referring to his meteoric heartbeat that pulsed throughout his entire torso with such fervor that it probably should have belonged hummingjay. "Me too."

Every wired-for-battle muscle in her body tensed further before she pulled herself away. His grip was loose so that she could do just that, but he had not expected her to excuse herself entirely and make her way to the head, the bathroom, of their stateroom onboard, and lock herself inside.

* * *

The door clicked shut behind him with the kick of his heel, but he didn't really care if it was wide open. In fact, he wasn't sure how much he cared about anything anymore. But, he had to care something for the girl that troubled him. He must have because each time he took a breath he felt a weight push against his chest, each time he removed an article of his clothing he suffered a stab of envy, and each time she gasped with his the feel of him he was pained with a longing that stretched over a giant crevice of loneliness and abandonment.

He had to care for her because, whether she knew it or not, was the only thing still tying him down to this world.

Regret ate at his heart with each kiss. Regret for his actions, for the road not taken. He should have stopped her, told her not to. And, maybe if he had, she could have been his forever. But, it had not turned out that way. She would be lost to him.

* * *

She didn't know how long he had sat on the other side of the door, she really didn't have anything to measure time with. The only thing she could use as a reference was the sound of his voice singing lulling tunes to her. He had been sweet, trying to coax her out, scared that something was severely wrong with her when she did not offer a response. But, he had relented, informing her that they could go to bed. He had gone so far as to telling her that he would sleep elsewhere, and he had even asked if she was remorseful about her decisions. Decisions about her life, her decision to get married.

That had only made her cry. And her tears became a way for him to monitor her wellbeing.

* * *

The young firebender looked into green eyes, panting as a voice whispered, "Do you love me?"

* * *

When she had stopped crying, he had whispered to her, calling her. When she didn't answer, ha rummaged through his coat pocket for the room key. When the tumblers clicked in the bolt, he opened the door to find her asleep on the bathroom floor, tear trails still glistening on her cheeks. When he picked her up, she didn't stir. And when he tucked her into the bed and kissed her forehead, he moved to sit on the floor, his back against the mattress, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Sitting up in bed, the sheets pooled into his bare lap. He glanced once at the beautiful, raven-haired girl beside him. Sound asleep, the moonlight reflected off her skin. Breathing out the bitter taste in his mouth, Tamal buried his face in his hands.

She couldn't be his.

* * *

**Did you guys sort of get what was going on there? Don't hate me! I'll explain in the following chapters! Please review with questions, comments, concerns, and requests for my gift to you readers! Happy New Year! xoxo**

**-Cheer**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Here it is! After long last! Sorry it took a bit longer than I expected. My online classes are all giving me trouble and my school is being a pain in the butt, so that took up a good portion of my time. This chapter contains the resolution to last chapter as I'm sure it threw a lot of you off. Anyways, enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Rise and shine, kiddo!" A familiar voice cheered as the heavy, wooden cell door creaked open, revealing the early morning light.

The young street urchin yawned and rubbed his brown eyes as he peered at the recognizable silhouette outlined in the doorway. He stretched, irritated, and pushed his long, unkempt coffee colored hair back behind his cap and out of his eyes. Sarcastically he muttered, "Ah, already? Can't I just go back to sleep, Mako?"

The officer frowned as he looked back at the young earthbender. He really didn't know why they had decided to put him in a wooden cage. Skoochy was not an earthbender. But, the odds were most likely so that he couldn't try to learn in the night, and make a break for it before they could get him to an orphanage. "Chief wants to see you."

The fifteen year old scoffed as he tailed his older friend down the back corridors of the police station. "Why? So she can slap my wrist, and ship me off to the orphanage?"

Mako narrowed his eyes humorously, and they both chuckled darkly. "You and I both know there's not a single orphanage in a hundred miles that wants you in there, Skooch."

"Yeah, not one that I wouldn't bounce from anyways." He confirmed, sniggering until he came face to face with the Chief herself. For a moment, Skoochy nearly feigned bashfulness, but thought better of it when he realized that this was Aiko's adoptive mother. And by no means would he damage his possibilities of visiting the little girl he had looked out for on the streets for years, the one that had become much like his little sister. "Chief Beifong, you're looking lovely this morning."

Lin Beifong rolled her pale green eyes as she flicked her wrist, inviting the young men into her office and directing the younger one to sit down opposite of her. She stood, glaring down at the earthbender. "You know, you could be spending more than just the night in jail? You're considered a runaway for ditching every single orphanage you've ever been put in. You're legally truant for not attending school."

"Ah, but Chief, you know how it is for a-."

"You have numerous counts of extortion, petty theft, vandalism, aiding in gang activities, and as of last night, forgery and disorderly conduct. You've become a real unnecessary pain in my backside by causing countless people to come in repeatedly reporting your minor crimes." She paused a moment to look over her shoulder and give him a small smirk. "Let's face it, if there was a medal for how much trouble a single orphan could cause, it would go to you without a doubt."

"I'm touched," Skoochy blurted before he could help it, earning a sharp stare from both Mako and Lin.

"But, that doesn't go without saying, you'd be a lot less trouble for me off the streets. So, I'm going to cut you a deal, Skoochy." Lin's voice was direct, and she had nothing but his utmost attention. "You deserve to be put in jail for a few nights, not to mention a lot of community service hours. But, I don't really think you want to go there, do you? Because you know that right afterwards, you'll be shipped off to an orphanage. And, it won't be one in the city. None will take you here. It'll be in Yu Dao."

Skoochy scowled, now frustrated with himself for getting caught in the first place. How had he been so stupid? Now, he would never get to teach Aiko all of the things big brothers should, never get to scare off her first boyfriend, never get to explain to Ikki how much she really did annoy him, never get to spend more time reading with Jinora, never able to watch the one strand of hair that always slipped in front of her arrow and into her eyes, never get to share anymore stolen kisses, and never get to argue with her one last time over nothing in particular. "What!? You can't send me to Yu Dao!"

"I can, and I just might."

'_Wait a minute! She might? There's an option she won't?'_ Skoochy's thoughts ran rampart, and he looked up at the Chief to see her watching him, amused as he cleverly placed the clues together. "You might?"

"I might," Beifong shrugged. The fifty-three year old Chief of Police gazed fondly upon the clever boy before her. She sat on the edge of her desk, facing him. "Or, I could find a good home to put you in. You would have to agree to stay there and behave yourself. But, you'd be cared for, well-fed, clothed, put in school, probably given earthbending lessons, and you'd have a family."

He frowned, refusing to show the sadness that had taken a bite out of his heart. "No one wants me. I'm too old, too set in my ways for anyone to care about. You won't find a family to take me in."

"Wanna bet, kid?" The Chief said gruffly, earning a knowing grin out of Mako.

Skoochy grinned. Wherever free money was concerned, he was more than willing to follow. "Sure, Chief."

Lin stood, and ventured round to the opposite side of her desk where she rummaged through the top drawer. Grinning smugly, she retrieved a small deck of legal forms. But, Skoochy was quickly able to decipher them from being different than that of those the police used. No, these were her own personal documents. And, using his newfound skills that he had obtained with the help of Jinora, he could read them. '共和城: 領養令."

"A-adoption Order?" He stuttered, stunned. And, just below that were the Chief's signature, and his name.

"What do you say, kid?" Lin asked, smirking.

* * *

The first time he _really _noticed, he chose not to say anything. It had become a rather frequent pattern that his teammate and roommate had adjusted to, but the earthbender had figured it would simply fizzle itself out. He knew, probably better than anyone else, that the firebender was hurting and that this was his way of dealing with it. Albeit, it was an incredibly unhealthy way of handling the pain. But, when it had started to become more frequent and more obvious, Bolin had truly begun to develop a concern that Tamal had a rather serious attachment disorder.

Yet, at that time he had decided to wait to make his move. He had wanted to make no mistakes in knowing exactly what the other Fire Ferret was going through, and he needed to go about things the right way when he confronted him. The first person that he had gone to about the matter was Kirima. Bolin knew that she was-although sometimes oddly eccentric-rather good with advice, and he loved her for it. Before he had even finished explaining what Tamal had been up to, the Water Tribe Princess had confirmed all of her boyfriend's thoughts on the matter. And, she had left him with true words of wisdom, 'Break it to him. It's kind of creepy.'

Bolin had bit his lip slightly with amusement. If Kirima of all people found something strange, it was most likely off the wall. So, the earthbender had begun to drop Tamal tiny hints along the way, implying that this one looks a lot like the other one, or that he must have had a very distinct type. But, each time Tamal had shrugged and told him that he guessed he did. It was not until the morning after Iroh and Asami's wedding that the nineteen-year-old earthbender decided that it was long past due to have an intervention with the handsome, amber-eyed probender.

Like every morning, Bolin woke up with a smile on his face. That was just how he was. Even after years of a harsh childhood on the streets, he had never grown out of his childlike optimism. Besides, all was right with the world. His brother and sister-in-law had two darling seven-month-olds that had begun to crawl just days ago and were more than eager to begin exploring the outside world, Asami and Iroh were now happily married, the Fire Ferret's season had ended with the championship and their pre-season would start soon, and last but certainly not least, he had Kirima. Absolutely nothing had the potential of ruining his wonderfully planned day ahead. However, there was something that could and would throw him off.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the earthbender made his way into the bathroom before sleepily continuing into the kitchen of the apartment he shared with his teammate. Around the start of last preseason, Tamal had moved into the extra room inside of the Arena's attic loft. Everything had been pleasant with his friend as a roommate, even enjoyable. But, it had come with surprises. And this had to be the biggest one yet.

He rubbed his eyes once again just to be sure that he was seeing straight. After all, things were a bit blurry, and for all he knew it could have been Tamal with fake breasts and a wig, pulling a practical joke because he knew Bolin was practically blind after waking up. Yet, it most certainly was not the young firebender sneaking through what was technically their kitchen to make an exit. This person was in fact a lot smaller, a lot curvier, and a hell of a lot prettier. In fact, on top of it all, she looked uncannily familiar.

The girl's green eyes sheepishly caught the dumb-founded earthbender's gaze in surprise upon hearing his footsteps, and a blush crept up her cheeks. Bolin was not sure whether to give her a small smile, or to nod in greeting, or to invite for her to stay through breakfast, or to just simply stare at her until she left. Politely enough, he acknowledged her with a brief good morning, and without any questions asked. He knew exactly why she was there in his apartment, sneaking out of his apartment, and she already seemed embarrassed enough, so he decided that there was no need to implore the lady for any details.

It was Tamal with whom he had a bone to pick. Now, it really was not any of his business how many or who the young ladies were that Tamal chose to _entertain_, and he knew the firebender would be more than willing to point that out. However, as these ladies continuously began to appear in _his_ apartment, it was beginning to become his business, for Tamal's sake.

Now, Bolin had known from the start how Tamal was. He was charming and charismatic, and was able to make almost every girls go weak in the knees. And, the firebender enjoyed their company. So in a way, when it came to having a lady under each arm, he and Bolin were quite similar. On the contrary, Bolin was the romantically innocent type, destined to ultimately swoon someone he cared for, while Tamal did so simply to satisfy his _needs__**. **_In fact, he often took it a step further and carried the young ladies off to bed, but he never called them afterwards. But, Bolin would never have called Tamal a bad person because of it.

Mako did not like the other firebender for those qualities; actually he despised him for them. But, once Mako's mind was made, there was little that could be done to change it. He was very stagnant in his ways. Not Bolin, though. Bolin was able to see through that playboy exterior, and capable of giving second chances. And with that ability, he was able to truly get to know Tamal. And one of the first things he had gotten to know about Tamal was that he had a rather snarky and laugh-at-everything sort of sense of humor. Next, Bolin had gotten to know that Tamal was helpful by offering an elderly woman his arm as she walked to her car. And he was loyal and encouraging, by offering their waterbending teammate extra practice when they had struggled to start.

All around, Tamal was a good person, but unintentionally, not when it came to the women he pursued. Initially, his habits had not been too bad. When Bolin and Tamal had gone off for a night on the town with each other or with friends every other week or so, the firebender was more than capable of discovering a lady or two that he would entertain the rest of the evening. Often he would dance with the girl, purchase her a drink or two, and escort her back home safely. And, if he really enjoyed her company, he would even take her out again. He would only try to seduce them once they had gone off together a few times, and he had not really been the kind to bang them and leave them. Often, he would keep the young lady around, but his only problem was that he often kept two or three others around at the same time. Yet, it would be at least a month or two before he grew tired of them, and turned them in for a new model.

But, for a short while, his habits had begun to wane somewhere around the time of their first championship game together, and somewhere around Hiroshi Sato's trial it had completely fizzled out. And it had been to the point that others besides Bolin had noticed something different about him. The firebender had been airy and dreamy, often losing focus whenever certain songs would play over the radio, or there were certain shifts in the atmosphere. Once, he had been so far lost that it had taken an exercise ball to the head to snap him out of his trance that had been caused by the departure of a certain raven-haired beauty. On top of it, he had seemed happier, more satisfied and optimistic about life.

But, one day, his demeanor had shifted. It had started with a look of pain one day that he had come home soaked to the bone. And for a week, he had been cold and had sulked, locked up in his room. When he emerged, he had hidden the pain away, masked by the carefree, charming expression he wore most of the time. Yet, his womanizing tendencies still had not resurfaced. Instead, he rejected women's advances; even from the most beautiful, and for months he did not so much as offer his arm as an escort to anyone. Save for one woman.

The one girl that never took it.

Bolin had known then. He hadn't said anything, but he had known. Tamal was on the chase, and he would not give up until all of his chances were shot. And, it was the day that all of his chances were shot that he had picked up his new routine.

"Mornin'," A voice spoke through an irritated sounding yawn.

The earthbender looked up from his stool at the bar on the counter to see his friend, roommate, and teammate making his way into the kitchen. Tamal looked scruffy and tired, and though it was a little hard to tell, maybe a tad downcast. With a yawn of his own, Bolin extended a second cup of coffee towards the older boy. "Hey, man."

Tamal gave the green-eyed boy a wry grin as he accepted the mug, "Aw, honey, you shouldn't have."

"Don't mention it," Bolin offered as Pabu scurried his way up the leg of his master's chair and onto the counter. The little fire ferret received a scratch between the ears from both young men before Bolin said, waggling his eyebrows, "So, did you enjoy your company last night? She had a nice, long gams."

Tamal chuckled into his mug, "Flexible."

Bolin turned a bit red at the comment, but chuckled regardless. "Where'd ya meet her?"

"She's the waitress at that speakeasy we go to sometimes. She's lot's of fun." Tamal told him.

He knew that. Bolin was already entirely aware of where Tamal had met her, just as he was entirely sure as to why he had chosen her. At that juice joint, she was Tamal's favorite to flirt with, and he had caught them kissing a few times. Usually just after her performances. "Oh, that's right. She does the stand-up comedy acts, right?"

"That's her."

"She's Asami's impersonator." Maybe he had said it a bit too pointedly, but Bolin needed to jump the gun on this. He had no other way of pointing out Tamal's habit.

Amber eyes narrowed unhappily, and his shoulders stiffened. The mere mention of the heiress turned princess as of last night had set Tamal in a foul mood. His hand gripped his mug tighter, and steam began to evaporate off of the once cooled coffee. With a harsh voice he spat, "So?"

Swallowing, Bolin shrugged. "Pretty, like her is all."

A brief silence hung between the two of them as Bolin re-gathered his confidence to have this conversation with his companion. He urged his doubts of his mind that it was too soon, and took a deep breath. His green eyes turned kind as he looked over at the young firebender, "You know, Tamal, it's okay to admit that you feel all balled up."

Tamal scowled and raised his black brows. "What are you talking about?"

Bolin waved his hand in the air, and with a sigh told him, "Well, see, I've sort of noticed this pattern. And, it's not just me. I mean it's kind of obvious to a lot of other people. But, it seems a little screwy."

The firebender's frown had gone from taken off-guard to perplexed to irritated. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bo."

"You're gonna make me say it?" The earthbender nearly whined. Receiving a blank stare, he cleared his throat. "Alright, but don't think I'm judging you. It just seems kind of unhealthy."

"Spit it out."

"It's kind of creepy that for months you've repeatedly, only, exclusively been sleeping with girls that look exactly like Asami Sato!" As soon as he said it, he shut his lips tightly and his green eyes grew wide as he watched Tamal's expression go sour.

"No, I'm not!" The firebender argued.

"Bro, don't deny it."

"Well, I'm denying it!"

"It's true!"

"That's weird! I wouldn't do that!"

"You would if you loved her and weren't really able to have her," Bolin told him quickly, trying to make a quick point. Immediately, Tamal froze, and the earthbender was almost sure that the firebender might have tried to punch him. But, the young man took advantage of the quiet. "Look, man. It's okay. I understand how it feels to love someone and not be able to have them, but I don't think you should handle it like this."

"I don't love Asami!" Tamal roared.

"I've never seen you fawn over someone like her!" Tamal gaped at him for a moment. "Yeah, that's what you do. You drop everything for her. I can see it in your eyes."

"Shut up!"

"And you can't get rid of her," Bolin whispered.

"I said, shut up!" He had rammed his cup down and was standing

"She'll go away," His friend urged calmly, still seated. "You just need to give it time. She can't occupy your heart forever."

"Go chase yourself, Bolin!" Tamal shouted as he stormed back to his room to once again lock himself inside of his own sorrow.

* * *

"Iroh?" She called out the instant she was awake. Her own voice made her long, black lashes bat the sleep from her stunning green eyes, and her heart raced inside her chest. Gripping the sheet beneath her fingertips, she willed her vision to adjust so that she could see properly in the predawn light.

He had to be there. She had to apologize. He had to understand.

"Mmm? What is it?" His words were slurred with the recent departure of sleep and he snorted as he picked his dark head up off of the edge of the bed where he had fallen asleep.

Asami picked herself up onto her forearms to peer down at the top of his unruly, raven hair. She quirked one thin brow at him with the realization that he had slept sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed beside her. He tilted his head back groggily to stare up at her. The young woman frowned in disapproval and hissed, "What are you doing down there?"

The young General made a perplexed, uncertain face. "I fell asleep."

"Clearly," She bit back, scolding him. At once she scooted backwards and patted the top of the mattress in front of her. "Get up here."

For a moment, he gaped at her like a fish, hesitant. But, he was sure that if he stayed under her sharp stare any longer, he would have begun to sweat bullets out of fright. So, both willing to evacuate the frigid floor and to curl up into the girl he loved, he crawled under the covers with her. And, her arms immediately wrapped around him. "I…I just thought-."

"Shh," She shushed him; running her fingers around the back of his neck and pressing herself flush against his cold body. "You're shivering. I don't care what you might have _thought_. You should have been asleep up her where it's warm, with me."

"But, last night you-."

"I know. And I'm sorry I keep interrupting you. But, let me…explain," Asami told him. She paused, trying to form the proper words. "I love you, Iroh, and I have loved you since the first time you asked me to tea. From that day on, I've known that I would be your wife. I've _wanted _to be your wife, and I can't even explain how happy I am because of it. So, don't make any assumptions about what I'm thinking."

He pursed his lips in surprise at her authoritative tone. His head drew back slightly because she was fairly accurate about his supposed assumptions. Iroh had indeed begun to question whether she doubted her decision to marry him, far past wondering if she was just too incredibly nervous about handing over her virtue to him. So, filled with curiosity, he waited for her explanation, and watched as her green eyes lowered, unable to look him directly in the eye.

"Are you angry with me?" She whispered in a voice that Iroh could not bear to hear without his heart braking.

Befuddled, physically sore from the way he had spent the night, and a little bit crestfallen, the young Crown Prince of the Fire Nation shook his head from side to side, causing their foreheads to rub together. In reality, he was not entirely sure how he was even supposed to feel. He had never even heard of a situation like this, and he most certainly did not know its cause.

Repeatedly, he had run a number of possibilities through his mind, and tried to draw the most logical conclusions. The first thing that had come to mind were the usual wedding night activities. However, if Asami had not been quite prepared to consummate their marriage, he knew that she simply would have said so. It may have taken her a few minutes of embarrassed stuttering, but she would have said it. Second, was the possibility that she completely regretted having made a legal and spiritual commitment to be Iroh's lifelong partner. But, just as with the first conclusion, it was flawed. She would have spoken up before the wedding had even happened, and she never made a deal that she wasn't willing to. Iroh's third assumption had been slightly more probable, as it had to do with the fact that many of Asami's relationships were broken and she was fearful of this one crumpling. And is third had filled him with an aching sense of dread. Perhaps she had hid something from him. Maybe, just maybe she was guilty and had hid something from him until it had overwhelmed her.

Swallowing the lump in his throat he told her, "No, just confused. After all, night before last at our rehearsal, you were practically throwing yourself at me."

He snickered, and her face turned scarlet with the recent memory. One thing that Asami Sato was not was an ardent drinker. In fact, she tended to shy away from being served much at all, and she had certainly not meant to pick up such a horrible habit at her own wedding reception. Insistently, she mumbled, "I didn't realize the wine was so strong."

"I know," Her new husband told her with a reassuring smile before he placed a quick kiss on top of her forehead. Beneath his lip, he could feel the movement of her brows rising in surprise that he was the first one to initiate any kisses that morning. So, quickly, she corrected that and retracted her head to push her lips against his in a soft, warm, innocent kiss of her own.

"I _do_ love you, Iroh," Asami breathed, clutching him tightly.

"I love you too, Asami," Iroh answered honestly. At once, with his arms wrapped around her slender figure, he could feel her sigh out in relief. Gently, he twiddled a strand of her raven hair in her fingers before slowly moving in his whole hand to stroke the thick, black mane atop her head. The young man held his new wife securely against him, willing her to open up to him. Subliminally making an effort to have her realize that he would never leave that place, not so long as he could help it, he squeezed her fingertips. "Are you going to tell me what the matter is?"

Iroh could feel her heartbeat, could hear her swallow the lump in her throat, and see her glance away in either shame or embarrassment. For moments, she only stared at him, opening and shutting her mouth as she tried to find a point to start talking. Yet, no line of thoughts seemed to be good enough. But, the right words seemed to arrive when he told her, "You don't have to hide it, or run away from me. I won't go anywhere unless it's to chase you. We've made it through lots."

She couldn't help, but smile with gratitude at the same time that a guilty memory made its way to the front of her mind.

* * *

"_I kissed Tamal." It was the first thing that she had announced the second the door shut behind her, and it clung to the air with the same thickness as the rainclouds clung to the sky outside. _

_Her drenched hair hung in her beautiful green eyes, she shivered underneath her doused clothing, and she could feel water sloshing inside of her boots. But, truthfully, she didn't care. The girl's heart rammed forcefully against her chest as nervous adrenaline pumped through it. Yet, it was not her heart that she was concerned about. The heart she was most concerned about belonged to the man across the room, behind the desk of the United Forces' Commanding General._

_His amber eyes grew wide from the shock of taking in the sight of girlfriend, standing just in front of his doorway, soaked to the bone, with a slightly crazed look in her bright, green eyes. Asami watched as her words slowly sunk in, catching the brief frown that crossed his features. Thunder rolled outside, and she jumped, pushing him into action. But, not in the way she had expected. Instead, he stood, grabbed his cloak from the rack behind him, and handed it to her. "Here, you're going to catch a death of cold."_

_Remorse clawed its icy way throughout her being, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't want to be shown any sort of compassion, it wasn't what she deserved. Flustered, she wrung the material back and forth in her grasp as he sighed and walked back to his desk. Almost angrily, she demanded, "Did you hear what I said? I kissed Tamal."_

_Iroh's shoulders stiffened, and he lifted his head up to glance over his shoulder at her. There was twinge of hardness in his eyes, and for whatever strange reason, she didn't find that to be quite adequate enough. Not even the flat tone of his voice was unfriendly enough. "Yes, I heard you. I'm not deaf."_

_Asami's fists tightened in vexation, as he stood there, cold and aloof and insensitive. "Well, aren't you angry? Hurt at least? You don't even look like you care!"_

_The General visibly scowled as he turned around to look at her. Calmly, he asked, "You really don't think I care?"_

_The steadiness of his voice irritated Asami further. Why wasn't he shouting? Screaming to high hell? Why wasn't he making it well known that his lips were the only one that should ever touch hers? Why wasn't he telling her how cruel it was of her to break his heart like that? Why was he still being kind as though nothing had happened? Did he not adore her in the slightest?_

"_No!" She shouted. "No, I don't think you do at all! I came here straight away, beating myself up the whole way here because I felt terrible. Still do, mind you! And you won't show an ounce of hurt. If it even hurts."_

"_Of course it hurts," He snapped back, finally giving her a piece of the reaction she had been hoping for. His fists clenched at his sides, and he paced towards her. "I feel like you just walked in here to stab me! And it makes me so livid, I can't even think straight! I want to tear his head off, but I know I don't have any justifiable reason because _you _kissed _him_!"_

_There it was. The accusation she had been looking for. But, no matter how much she felt that she deserved it, it still managed to illicit tears. And as soon as he saw them, fresh trails on her cheeks, his whole demeanor calmed to despondency. "But, what hurts the most is that I couldn't change your mind when you decided to find out if you had feelings for him."_

_Through her tears, she gaped at him, and he continued, "That was your goal wasn't it? Or, was it just an impulse?"_

_Tears now poured down her face in two heavy streams. "Iroh, I-."_

"_No need to explain yourself to me."_

"_Iroh, I love you. I-I'm so sorry." The young man's golden eyes softened as she reached out desperately for his hand. _

"_Asami, no. Don't be." His voice was kind and full of love as her fingers made their way into his grasp. "I understand."_

"_Well, I wish you wouldn't," She told him defiantly. How could he possibly be sympathetic? Asami had just kissed a man to find out if she had any sort of feelings for him. Of course, as soon as her mind had been cleared, she knew that she didn't. And, stricken with honest guilt, had come halfway across town to find her true beloved and confess to her act of betrayal._

"_Do you really?" Iroh asked her, sincerely curious._

"_Of course not." The youngest living Sato frowned and turned her eyes downcast. Truthfully, she was eternally grateful for Iroh's ability to forgive those he loved without much thought. But, there was a part of her that wished that he wouldn't, that he would blow up with rage. Now, they had their spat of angry arguments just like any other couple, and she had seen Iroh behave with a foul temper. But, it was never directed at her, and he had never begrudged her of anything. Why wouldn't he though? Why wouldn't he turn on her? "Why aren't you asking me to leave?"_

"_Why would I?" He answered sweetly, brushing her wet hair out of her face._

_She shrugged. "I don't know. So, you can think about it? So you can decide whether or not I'm really worth it?"_

_At once, he was kissing her. And, with the soft, devoted, warmth of his lips pressed against her, she realized that he knew. He understood that she loved him enough to come to him to pour out her entire heart to him because it belonged to him. A smile spread out over her face when he broke away just long enough to tell her, "Yes, you are."_

* * *

The couple had revived from that quickly, and had been stronger than ever afterwards. Yet, Tamal had never been quite the same towards either of them, and Asami was sure that she had nearly lost a friend out of it. But, her relationship with Iroh trumped the one she had with the other firebender. So, it had surprised her when he had shown up to their wedding, carrying congratulations and a gift.

Asami breathed a heavy sigh, cursing herself. She had never really been a secretive person. In fact, she was often very honest, and she had been so with Iroh. But, ever since her own father had betrayed her ultimate trust, to the point that he was willing to murder her, she had experience a tad of difficulty opening up about her darkest secrets. Even with Iroh.

"I-I tried to tell you as soon as I found out, but that was only maybe four days ago. And the news was so stressful, that I almost tried to pretend that I had never even gotten it." Her heart ached as she made an effort to begin her confession. It hurt to even think about, let alone say it out loud. Asami's voice grew slightly smaller. "About a month ago, I went to the healers for a routine check-up, and they ran a few tests."

She watched as Iroh's eyes grew horrified, and he immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. The fear in his voice was thick, and he tightened his desperate hold on her. "A-Asami, are you sick?"

"No, I'm not sick," She told him immediately, honesty in her voice and green eyes. Asami stared on for a moment as her husband visibly calmed. "I'd thought about going for a little while actually, ever since Ren and Kaito were born."

Another hint, but she knew that he would have a hard time deciphering it, and her hypothesis was confirmed when his amber eyes shone with confusion. Ever since she was a little girl, she had dreamt of having a family of her own: a proper one with a father, children, extended relatives, and a mother. And even when she was unsure if true love could ever exist, the thought of her own children, people she could love unconditionally, still brought her some sort of estranged happiness. But, now, the thought of them brought a few tears to her eyes.

Angry and hurt, Asami clutched the front of his satin nightshirt. Her brow furrowed defiantly, and her voice was strong with no trace of the tears. "I had thought to go because I just had a few questions about what it would be like when we-you know-started trying for own one day. I just thought that it might me a good idea. Well, apparently it was because it was very informative."

She let out a harsh laugh, and releasing him, sat up. Her lips pursed in frustration, and she placed her hands in her lap. Asami's green eyes were angry as she told him what was on her mind as he lay on the bed in bewilderment. With the expert cheekiness of an offended, irritated teenage girl, she told him gruffly, "Well, I know that you need an heir, so if you want to apply for a dissolution of marriage when we land in the Fire Nation, I'll understand. I'm sorry I was too distracted to tell you before, but it's true. I was called in to come back so that they could tell me that I'm only half as likely as a woman twice my age to ever conceive. So, that means that I have just over a two percent chance of ever even getting pregnant, and that's only for the next five years or so before that number slices right in half. That's why I locked myself in the damn bathroom. It was the first time I had to confront it, and I wasn't sure how to handle it. But, now I've told you, so you can go right on ahead and let me know how horrible it was for me not to say anything about it up until this point."

The first thing that he felt was shock. It was the last thing that he had expected to hear out of her. And, he knew just by her face and attitude that she was still disturbed by the news as well. Asami had spoken of having children both off-handedly and directly, such as during the times that they had been with Kaito and Ren, but she had never really pressed the subject. More often she had left the impression that she wanted them _someday_, never directly after they were married. And, he could assume that was still the case, only now, there was no _someday _because her chances for today hardly even existed.

He sat up beside her, sadness in his own eyes. "Do they know why?"

Of course she knew why. She just hadn't expected it to be the problem, because she was raised without a mother and she would have died of embarrassment addressing the dilemma with her father. But, apathetically, she shrugged her shoulders. "Does it matter?"

"If Katara can help you, it might," He answered. Iroh watched as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye in surprise. Earnestly he grasped her hand, and pressed her palm to his lips. "Asami, you said yourself, we have five years to worry about it. We'll be bothered by it whenever you want to be. I made a commitment to you, and I'm not going to break it."

"What about your country? You have a commitment to them too," Asami urged, looking at him now. "You need an heir."

"Well, it's a good thing my parents made a spare just in case," Iroh teased. He would never call his sister that to anyone who didn't care about her. "Suzume can take it if need be. My mother's going to hang onto the throne forever, so she'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea."

"She'd be angry with you," The young Sato heiress offered with raised brows. Although she was offering him bait, she was beginning to realize that he would never take it. And the thought nearly made her smile.

"Only at first, but she's built to tell people what to do. She'll come to enjoy it."

Asami couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips, both with the thought of Iroh's witty little sister telling a large group of war Generals exactly what was on her mind, and with the happiness that Iroh's understanding had brought her. Her husband chuckled in response and placed a loving kiss on her temple. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him before he continued, a slight blush on his face. "Back on the subject of this little problem of _ours_. We have so many options. If it comes down to it, there are a lot of children out there in need of a good home. But, before we resort to that, whenever you want to start, we can try until it drives us to our wits ends."

With a grin, Asami stuck out her hand for him to shake, which he took gingerly. "It's a deal."

"Deal," He agreed, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Now, I'm not saying we should get cracking on that, but," Her face turned rather red as she glanced up at him from half-lidded eyes. "Maybe we could throw in a little practice time."

At once Iroh pulled her into a passionate kiss, to which she responded immediately. Her dainty fingers ran up through his hair, and his hands found her waist. With a cheeky grin, Iroh pulled back. "My dear, I couldn't agree more. However, I do believe we deserve a few minutes to refresh ourselves."

And with that he stood, pulling her to her feet as well. Hopping off of the mattress, he swept her up, and placed her down just before him. Quickly, he told her that they shouldn't lock themselves in this time, only to earn a rather sharp glare from his bride. But, he was confident that sooner than later, it would disappear from her face.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that satisfied some of your curiosities. I'm sorry that I didn't include Korra, the boys, the Airbenders, etc. I definitely had a part for them, but that would have made this chapter to ridiculously long to write. I already was suffering a decent amount of writer's block. Next time! So, what do you guys think of Tamal and Asami's respective problems? I felt bad just writing it. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! They are much appreciated, as are all of my readers!**

**On a side note, you guys should follow me on tumblr if you have one! You can find me under the name madisonbecauseitsthebestansw er**

**It has also occurred to me that this story has over 100 followers and that is amazing! You guys are fabulous! XD**

**I hope you all have an amazing, blessed week! Remember you are all wonderful people, and someone out there loves you! Until next tim guys! **


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **I'm back from the dead! You guys can't sue me for reckless abandonment after all! I sincerely apologize about the wait, you guys. With the summer, I really hope to update more frequently, but I bet you guys don't really trust that notion anymore. Sorry. I hope this chapter is adequate and satiates some of you desires. Oh, and FYI, I changed Korra's cousin's name to her canon name, Eska. I will fix that in other chapters soon. But it's 1 in the morning now and I don't feel like it. You guys, I really need book 2 to come out! Like really! Anyways, how have you guys been? Seriously, it's been awhile. Let me know how you're doing. So please read, enjoy, review! Thanks loves! You're wonderful!

* * *

Just the day before, children's laughter melded with the sounds of their little feet scampering too and fro. Their parents-who had formerly struggled to adorn most of them in coats to protect them from the crisp autumn air-stood collectively conversing amongst each other. Most of the men had been gathered in their own circle to talk business and sports-their own forms of gossip-in the courtyard, while the women chatted indoors as they busied themselves with restocking snacks and rounding up their children that trotted excitedly from the courtyard to the kitchen and back again. A few Air Acolytes had volunteered to be of service-as was accustomed to their _tireless worker_ behavior-but Pema and Tenzin had not seen it entirely fitting for them to make all of the effort. It was, after all, their youngest son's affair.

Rohan's fourth birthday celebration had turned into quite the event, despite the never-ending stream of excited children. Most had been right around Rohan's age, and followed direction deftly with each new game. On the other hand, a few were easily persuaded by the sparse older children-such as Meelo and one of his two friends that had attended-to get a little rowdy. But, under the warning stares of their mothers' they quickly settled back down to behave prim and properly. Jinora, Ikki, a few of their friends, and Skoochy-who had been sycophantically pursuing Tenzin's approval, albeit somewhat reluctantly, ever since the older man had gotten the suspicion that the earthbender was yearning for his eldest daughter's affection-were more than happy to assist when it was necessary to step in as babysitter.

And of course the Air family's _extended_ relatives/friends had made themselves present. Lin Beifong kept a watchful eye on her two adopted children, making sure that neither of them caused any trouble-especially Aiko with Meelo, whose rifts had not ceased. Bolin was content with his role as a jungle gym, as his beloved Eska-in town for a visit-unintentionally made some of the children wary about their own behavior, their food, and the Spirits through her offhand comments. Iroh and Asami-not quite a year into marriage and still bitten by the _newlywed bug_-snuck in adoring Eskimo kisses when they thought no one was looking, or when Meelo and Rohan were not vying for her attention. Korra and Mako interchangeably kept a dutiful eye on their toddling twins, making sure they were either watched carefully or had their hand held-as they enjoyed and assisted in the festivities. And Katara made sure to fawn over both Ren, Kaito, and each of her four grandchildren- especially the birthday boy.

Cameras flashed when Rohan blew out the candles on top of his fruit pie, but for once they were _not_ from the visual recorders of reporters. The swarm that usually tried to flock at least twenty yards behind Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Iroh, Tenzin, and his children, had not been permitted access to the Island-as per usual. Today the pictures were taken on smaller, privately owned cameras-one of Asami's productions-and when printed, would be something to treasure. They would show glimpses of happiness, love, candid experiences, and the more human side to the people that were often glamorized or degraded in papers. One would display Rohan-in a big brotherly fashion-kissing the top of Kaito's dark head and Ren leaning against the airbender's other side as he smiled playfully at someone outside of the image. Another would exhibit Tenzin and Pema entertaining Ikki's desire to be listened to as she let out another one of her farfetched stories. A third would show Jinora, and a few others, listening intently to one of her Gran-Gran's old war stories. Further pictures would show Korra and Mako beginning to irritate one another, only to settle it in the next with Korra tugging him down to her lips with his scarf. And there were so many more.

"One more, Meelo." Pema smiled at her eldest son.

"Aw, Mom, you said that last time." His blue eyes rolled as he whined, exchanging dubious glances with his younger brother beside him.

"I'll take it, Pema. You can jump in with the boys." Asami's offer had been met with a smile, and the Air Acolyte gladly handed the camera over.

"Only if you're in the next one, _Asami._" Meelo waggled his eyebrows teasingly, earning scowls from both her and his mother.

On the other end of the courtyard a young mother scooped one of her sleepy twins up into her arms with a loving smile. The little boy had already clenched his fist around the sleeve of her tunic, and rested his chestnut head against her shoulder by the time she had him situated on her hip. It had become second nature, and with it, she continued her day-to-day routine as best as she could. More photos would show her busying herself with a few small Avatar hopefuls and admirers swarmed at her feet-all with their own questions and requests.

And another group of shots would display a young father sitting beside an elderly Water Tribe woman. In the young man's lap would be a toddler-just departing infancy-with an ear pressed against the man 's chest and a thumb wedged into his mouth.

"Oh, he's gotten so big." Her gentle, elderly hand brushed the back of Kaito's thick, black locks.

Not as tired as Ren, but far more bashful, the little boy's deep teal blue eyes had grown shy. Quickly, he had hidden them halfway behind his father's red scarf-glancing every once in awhile at the unknown but somewhat familiar-perhaps?-woman with the kind blue eyes and warm voice.

Curious.

Did he know this woman?

Well, she had hugged him earlier-although not much to his liking. And Momma and Dada had hugged her too. Ren had practically thrown himself into her arms. But still, did he know her that well?

Many people that reached out to touch him were strangers. Not Unca Bo, Auntie Ami, or Ten-in, but the ones his parent had never met before. Momma and Dada did not usually know the people on the streets that tried to pat his head or even hold him. While his brother was fascinated by the attention-often reaching for unknowns-Kaito, like his father, was not whole-heartedly trusting and took awhile to warm up to someone.

But, Dada was smiling and laughing with this woman. Dada knew her. So maybe-just maybe-she was safe company. If Dada thought so.

"…bender." His dada's voice rumbled strongly in his chest, against his ear, and Kaito sighed contentedly. "The other day in the tub, he made a little whirlpool and sunk his toys."

The old lady laughed, and in spite of himself, the toddler found he liked the sound of it. "Oh, he's going to be strong. Aren't you?"

Kaito's eyes grew wide again, and he felt his father's big hand pat his side. He clutched the red fabric tighter-still unsure. Daring to glance upwards, he caught sight of happy amber eyes.

"Smile, Kaito." Dada had urged tenderly. "Master Katara is talking to you."

He had shaken his head, and heard the tinkering sound of the old woman's laughter again.

There was a smile in her voice. "It's all right, Mako. Tenzin was shy like this too. It's nothing I'm not used to. Besides, he probably doesn't remember me that well, either. Do you?"

Face scrunched, the little one tried to once again recall any memories of this Master Katara. It was difficult. Visually, nothing could come. But, there was something-just maybe. His family hadn't been in the city then. No, it was somewhere else. It had been bitterly cold, but there had been warmth indoors. Someone had held him and sung him to sleep. Perhaps.

Katara chuckled again. "Well I remember you. You're very handsome, Kaito."

Handsome. Hmm. That was another compliment. It meant something similar to pretty, right? Except it was said to boys.

Still hiding part of his face, Kaito had grinned back at her. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

Today was different though. There seemed to be an unlike aura in the air. While the genial closeness of friends and family that followed them everywhere was ever-present, the ambience seemed drastically dissimilar.

Unusual for everyone.

No, it was not in part to the fact that they were all to return to their daily duties. And no, it was most certainly not the slight changes in the weather.

Something simply felt off.

* * *

Perhaps it came from being kept awake by a guilty conscience.

* * *

"_They needed to know! Eska, I swear on my life, I didn't do anything wrong." He pursued her quickly departing form through the icy hallways of the Northern Water Tribe Palace._

At once, she reeled on him, blue eyes flashing. "What kind of fool do you take me for?!" There was an unprecedented quantity of venom spewing from her vocal chords. Throwing him a dark look, she resumed her brisk trot. "Do not dare lie to me! I know exactly what you have done! You crept around like a thief in the night for nearly a week, trying to shadow me, to spy on my studies without being noticed! – You aren't very good at that, by the way! – And I. Let. You. In. I allowed you to learn of my discoveries with the spirits, under the impression that you would not breathe a word to anyone outside myself, my father, and Desna!"

_His footsteps matching hers, Bolin nearly recoiled. However, the earthbender inside of him made him stand his ground. He opened his mouth to protest, but was abruptly cut off._

"_I trusted you to respect my wishes!" A bubble of betrayal seemed to rise to the surface of her blue eyes, but it popped at once. Her face immediately became firm, refusing to look at him directly. "And now that you've so casually handed it over to the sage, you've put everyone –Korra especially- in danger!"_

"But, Korra's the Avatar!" Bolin persisted, his palms facing upwards as he tried to reassure her. "She'll be able to handle it!"

"_My cousin is many things, and proud and easily manipulated are two of them. She will not back down. She isn't capable of handling these spirits in this capacity yet, and you've put our Avatar's life on the line with your indiscretion! He will use her, Bolin, and she will not succeed. The spirits will bring their wrath!" _

_Bolin's heart skipped a beat. Was it really as bad as Eska thought? Had he just handed over his best friend's life on a silver platter? "Isn't it her right to know?"_

"_Not like this." Eska's voice was coarse and once again void of emotion. But her eyes, they were on fire. _

_His brows furrowed both in confusion and frustration. "The sages are going to help. I think you doubt too much." _

_At once, he felt himself forcibly propelled sideways by a flume of water. His back crashed against the wall as he tried to gain his footing. Ice encircled him, tethering to the enclosure of the hallway. Shocked, he lifted his gaze to see his enraged girlfriend bending the frozen water around him. And for the first time, he realized how devastated she was behind her apathetic exterior. _

"_Perhaps I should have doubted you a bit more too." _

_Her flat words stung him. Maybe he should have reconsidered his actions. "Eska."_

"_This is unforgivable, Bolin."_

"_Really, I never meant any harm."_

"_I know. I know you thought what you did was right, but you gave me your word. It was a promise you never should have broken. I must tell my father and brother before any harm comes to my tribe," She paused before staring blankly into his apologetic green eyes. "And you need to stay out of my way."_

"_You're going to leave me here? Eska, I'm sorry. Let me help fix it."_

_She shook her head and turned. "I already warned you. We're over, Bolin."_

_No. Oh no. Panic rose in his chest. Spirits, he shouldn't have said anything. It wasn't his place. He hardly knew anything about the spirits to begin with, save for what Eska had taught him. With every step she took away from him, dread filled his heart. "Eska! Eska, wait! I'm sorry!"_

At four in the morning he had found himself wandering the cool, windy streets of a city that never really slept. Granted, many people were still tucked away in bed as the moon began to think of settling behind the western most point of view. Workers, however, were busying themselves with bringing in deliveries, that early morning's catch from the sea, setting up displays, and opening up shop. And at one of these particular flower stands, under the light of a streetlamp, Bolin came into possession of a large bouquet of moon flowers. The blossoms were still shut, sleeping much like he should have been. But he knew that when they woke, they would be beautiful and bright.

Just like her.

* * *

Maybe it came from being startled out of her wits end before five in the morning.

* * *

She had heard the jingling in the tumblers from the nursery as she laid a blanket across her cousin –asleep in a rocking chair-, and she had nearly jumped out of her skin. Neither of the boys had woken when she had come in to check on them and remove Ren from his mother's arms, and they weren't awake now. But, she certainly was.

Suspiciously, she crept down the dark hallway. Boldly, she moved her hands along her sides and out in front of her face, ready to collect the water from the mere air and attack. Or, -if necessary- even bloodbend. Her heart beat a little fast, but her face was threatening. Mako had left just a little while ago, so maybe it was him. But, that was unlikely. Still, Korra and Mako lived in one of the ritziest neighborhoods in town, within a very well protected apartment building. Who would dare enter the home of the Avatar?

Unfortunately, that was a poor question to ask herself. There were certainly a substantial number of people in the world that were willing to hurt her cousin. Not even necessarily for personal reasons. For the daunting and menacing amount of raw power Korra possessed.

The moment the door opened she nearly pinned the burly, shadowed figure to the outside wall with an icicle. Only his startled gasp –that she parroted with her own fright- stopped her.

His voice was not above a whisper as he recovered first, placing a hand on his chest. His keys covered his heart as he stepped forwards. "Spirits, Eska, you gave me major willies."

In return, Eska clutched at her own, forgetting herself. The Water Tribe princess frowned, "Well, you _were_ almost a human tack."

Under his breath, he laughed. "Sorry if I startled you."

Eska had known that Bolin had a key to Korra and Mako's apartment, but she hadn't really expected him to use it during such an odd time of day. Sure, her habits could be rather peculiar, but most others' weren't. Not her boyfriend's. "No, just your average predawn, nighttime visit."

Green eyes, somewhat hidden in the unlit entryway pegged her insistently. Approaching her intently, he told her, "I didn't think anyone would be awake. I was going to surprise you when you woke up."

Though curious, she smiled at him. And when he opened his arms wide, she slid right into them with admiration for his perpetual warmth. The side of her face pressed into his chest and she could feel him crane his neck down so that his chin rested atop her head. "Why are you up so early?"

"Why are _you_ up so early?"

"I'm helping my cousin take care of her eighteen month old babies. One was sniveling and I didn't want Korra to wake up. What's your excuse?"

He leaned back and showed her the bouquet of snoozing white flowers. A smile spread across his face convincingly. "I got these for you."

Her lip twitched upwards slightly. She hadn't always been big on romantic gifts like flowers. Often, she preferred things like books, ancient scrolls, and ancient, eclectic knick-knacks. But, she certainly appreciated his gesture, and the Moon Flowers. Still, the entirety of the situation felt strange. Eska had never known Bolin to be awake before the sun rose. And if he was, -like her cousin- he usually wasn't very happy about it. Eyeing him a bit more closely, she murmured, "You haven't slept at all."

Bolin scowled tiredly.

What had kept him from sleep? She knew that ever since Tamal had moved out of the apartment above the arena –for what particular reason, no one was quite sure -, Bolin had been slightly anxious around his home. He greatly missed his friend –who he now barely saw apart from probending –and truthfully, loneliness did not suit him. But, that hadn't prevented adequate sleep. Did this happen often? Was he sleepless frequently?

Eska mirrored his expression. She suddenly wished she could be in Republic City more often to monitor the situation, to be with him. If there had been no consequences or paparazzi to worry about, she would have shared his bed with him every night of every trip. But, that simply wasn't the case. Sadness inched its way into her heart. Yes, she was here as often as possible, and he took just as many trips to the North Pole, but there was a part of her beginning to wonder if that abrupt physical separation would be permanent.

* * *

Possibly, it came from not having to take care of anyone but herself on a morning that would be all about taking care of others.

* * *

She had kissed Ren and Kaito goodbye, and left them in the custody of her brother-in-law and cousin. Her first stop that day would be in Tenzin's offices to discuss a new proposition that they would present to the council together.

The council.

Hmm, they had been particularly frustrating lately. Not the members themselves, but the topics that tended to arise amongst them. And today's topic –a growing feud between Northern Water Tribe territories and the Northern regions of the Earth Kingdom that certainly had the potential to turn dangerous quickly.

* * *

It might have been the fact that for one of the first times on record, Tenzin had allowed his two eldest daughters to wander around Republic City without any adult supervision-so long as they looked out for each other.

* * *

Jinora had taken the lead some time ago, and had wandered into the crowd hand in hand with Skoochy. The earthbender had been completely awestruck with the master airbender all day, and her elder sister had made it known that the feeling was quite mutual. Though Ikki enjoyed both of their company, she had begun to feel compelled to leave the two be –a sign that she was growing up a little bit. Thankfully, it hadn't taken long for the young airbender to find a new companion.

Ikki smiled fondly at her new acquaintance, laughing at the jokes they exchanged there, sitting on a tree limb in Republic City Park, and stuck out her hand. "I'm sorry. We've been talking for so long, and I just realized that I don't even know your name. I'm Ikki."

At once, kind blue-eyes sparkling, the olive skinned boy placed his palm in hers, an excited grin spread over his features. "Well, it's wonderful to meet you, Ikki. I'm Notin. Notin Katashi."

Katashi?

The surname certainly sounded familiar. But where had she heard it before? In her overly active mind, she shifted through lists of people she knew, how she knew them, who they knew. No, there were not any personal attachments to anyone with that name. Conceivably she had read of someone name Katashi, or had heard it on the radio. However, the young airbender didn't feel the need to press the matter. Ikki was far to wrapped up in getting to know her new friend to even consider the possibilities.

In her girlish, high-pitched voice, she told him, "Spectacular to meet you, Notin."

* * *

It was highly possible that it was because criminal activity was at an all time low for the day.

* * *

The atmosphere in the detective office of the Republic City Police Department was one that could easily put a person to sleep, and that was exactly what it had done to Kuro. Disinterested in his own paperwork, Mako had absently taken to tossing small bits of paper into his partner's open mouth. Recently promoted, the duo had officially entered the detective field of the force. A good portion of their time was spent investigating, observing, making busts, and surveying crime scenes. Unfortunately, more often than either of them liked, they spent themselves on drafting and writing documents for records and superior officers. Today, so far, it seemed that almost all of the other detectives were doing that exact same thing.

"Hey," Daw, one of the female officers in the detective department, addressed no one in particular. Along with a few others, she had joined Mako in his game. "Has anyone heard anything on the TTT? I had heard they were packing."

"The Triple Threats are laying low today. They haven't made a move since Zolt's father's funeral." Another, Loc, told her from across the pathway between desks as he neatly folded a paper airplane.

"That must be driving the other Triads nuts!" Mako whistled.

"Yeah, you'd think," Loc grinned cheekily. He was one that had a bit more seniority amongst the detectives in the group, and well on his way to becoming a first class in the department. Finishing his airplane, he sent it flying in a loop straight into the side of Kuro's face.

Kuro stirred slightly, causing everyone to freeze and begin to retreat in order to pretend that he had not been the folly of their entertainment. However, all he did was snort, close his mouth, and reopen it.

Loc grinned again. "But according to Jiro, Two-Face has been keeping a tight leash on the Agni-Kai's, and apparently Koots Katashi was spotted takin' a leisurely stroll in the park with his boys. His kids, I mean, a couple of bodyguards too though. So the monsoons aren't making a move today."

"All's quiet." A detective across the room agreed.

"Too quiet maybe," Daw stated.

Mako shrugged and tossed a crumpled piece of paper at his partner, finally rousing the sleeping Kuro. "Maybe, maybe not."

* * *

Perhaps the strange feeling came from that day's top stories.

* * *

Had he even heard the radio announcer correctly?

"That's right, folks Hiros-."

He didn't find it necessary to finish listening to whatever else the announcer had to say, and he immediately switched it off. Without a second thought, the handsome young General was on his feet adorning his coat. Iroh could deal with whatever paperwork was left undone later. At this moment, he had a higher priority than whatever it was that the United Forces was dealing with.

His boots clicked against the pavement hurriedly as he set out too take a drive cross a portion of town. Traffic was fairly light considering rush hour was due to start any moment. Within no time, he had pulled his Satomobile onto the New Future Industries property, and had taken up a quick canter into the main factory –certain that she'd be there in her office. A few of the workers gave him curt nods of acknowledgement, and Sasuke –a supervisor that Asami had taken to when she was just a girl- gave him a broad smile. He took the steps two or three at a time, and just barely gave a warning knock before opening the door.

She was just where he had expected her to be –sitting behind her desk, jotting away fervently on a blueprint. Her green eyes glanced upwards, but only for a second. "Hey." And then she glued her face and attention back to her project.

Her greeting wasn't flat, or cold, but it certainly wasn't the warm greeting he was accustomed to. Indubitably, it was usually a variation of bright eyes, a warm smiled, an effort to stand embrace him, and a, 'Hi, Honey,' or a, 'Hey, Ace,' and quite possibly a kiss with a, 'Hello, Love.' But, not today. No, it was strange and rather unprecedented.

Iroh wandered towards his wife, and placed a strong hand on the small of her hunched back. Her eyes were shut when she craned her neck up long enough for him to press a quick against her lips. Asami placed a soft palm against his cheek, and she pushed back earnestly. The moment his lips were gone though, she buried herself right back into her work. "Hello, Darling." Pressing his lips against he gleaming, black locks, he kissed the back of her head, and listened closely to his environment. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Busy. How are you?" She was clearly concentrated on something else.

"I'm alright," He said rather unhappily, causing her to glance up just a little. Pursing his lips contemplatively, he decided now would be the best time to ask. "Have you been listening to the radio?"

"It's off."

"But were you?" The firebender felt the need to clarify. "Earlier? Maybe fifteen minutes ago?"

"Yes." Down went her focus and gaze back to her pen.

"And…And are you okay?"

Beneath his fingers, her posture became rigid, but she nodded in affirmation.

"Are you sure?" Silence typically sat well with him. Of course, that depended on the type, and he wasn't sure if he liked this one.

Her black haired head bobbed up and down once again, still never leaving her assignment.

And now, he definitely didn't believe her. "Asami."

"I said I was fine, Iroh." Not quite a snap, but close enough. There was no venom in the words, but the tone was firm enough. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

Those words felt tired. Drained and dispirited. Yet, she had managed to make them sound as apathetic as possible.

Gently, he rubbed her back and placed a reassuring kiss to the back of her head once more. He would not push her if she did not wish to discuss anything further on the topic. And he stood straight, ready to depart. His fingers cruised across her shoulders, but as soon as they slipped off, they were caught by a petite hand. Iroh paused in his tracks.

Asami was looking at him now. Intently probing him with her green eyes. From them, she didn't let on anything too complex, but there was a certain profoundness.

Love.

Gratitude.

Tugging on his hand, she stood. In an instant, both of her hands were on either side of her husband's face, and she leaned upwards to kiss him.

Iroh's arm wrapped around her tightly, pulling himself further into her kiss. Like always, but with each time feeling like an entirely new experience, he admired the softness of her ruby lips and the way they felt to his own. Tenderly he tugged against her bottom lip, and pulled away. He heard her let out a little, content sigh. She rubbed his cheek, and he pressed his face into her touch. "I'll see you at home in a little while?"

For the first time, she gave him a ghost of a smile. "Yeah. Just a little while."

* * *

**A/N: **Again, so sorry for the delay loves! Please let me know what you guys thought! XOXO


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